Welcome to the first full day of Winter following yesterday’s Solstice. While the days are short, and in this season, it’s easy to get your tinsel in a tangle, but it’s also a magical time of year with ‘Santa Paws’ arriving in just a few days. As always we’re joining Rosy and Sunny at Adventures of the LLB Gang. This week I’m actually going to share real life nature photos. Elsa here and just so you know, I made an important editorial decision today. No more stupid inflatables or weird Santa skeletons for the rest of the year. You’re welcome. For the past couple of weeks, the Ranch had been going to the dogs naturewise, showing some ridiculous pics. Today I’m going to show you how to really go to the dogs…wolves that is. In exciting news this week, the Colorado Department of Parks and Wildlife (CPW) released the first group of wolves in accordance with a 2020 voter mandated reintroduction in Colorado now that all the legal challenges were resolved by a federal court last week. So let’s get started, shall we?
Elsa: On Monday, the CPW seemed to take pity on me by sharing this video showing the release of the 5 grey wolves (3 males and two females). They were released in an undisclosed area on public lands in Grand County. There had been multiple legal challenges filed by various Western Slope groups, including The Colorado Cattlemen’s Association and the Gunnison County Stockgrowers’ Association who had lost their final court challenge on December 16th. Judge Regina Rodriguez said that while ranchers’ concerns were understandable, their complaints were insufficient “for this court to grant the extraordinary relief they seek.” She added that pausing the reintroduction process would be against public interest since a majority of voters (albeit a slim one) passed Proposition 114 back in 2020, requiring the reintroduction. On Monday, the wolves were released with a pleased governor and about 45 guests watching as they ran to a nearby forested area. There is no audio to this video (but at least there aren’t any annoying ads either). I heard that one of the wolves looked back at the peeps before high-tailing it into the trees. Aren’t they just magnificent?
The Mom: Umm yeah, I realize I haven’t been my best lately when it comes to sharing Nature pics so I’m glad you took initiative with this week’s Nature Friday edition, although the truth of the matter regarding the timing was simply coincidental. In reality, this hot-button issue had been mandated by the voters when Proposition 114 was passed in 2020, with rural communities staunchly opposed to the reintroduction plan, complaining it wasn’t fair to them since Front Range cities carried the proposal over the rural Western Slope residents’ criticisms. Their complaint was they would be impacted more by the presence of this top-tier predator than city slickers. Between 30-50 wolves will be sourced from multiple northern Rocky Mountain states, then reintroduced over a 3-5 year period with CPW partnering with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department according to their plan for reintroduction. Monday’s wolves had been captured, health checked and fitted with radio colors only a few days before they were released in Colorado.
Elsa: Whoa…talk about impressive. I heard the largest was 108 lbs…so what’s their usual habitat range?
The Mom: Scientists suggest on average that it’s around 50 miles but it can range anywhere from 22 to 140 miles, so they won’t be released within 60 miles of the state border. The wolves were released in an undisclosed area that has a large deer and elk population. Officials are hoping they won’t be a risk to livestock, thus hopefully alleviating rancher concerns.
Elsa: Hmm, I seriously doubt that ranchers will still be fuming. Wolves have been villainized forever. Didn’t wolves use to live in Colorado before?
The Mom: Yes, they did but it was a long time ago. Wolves were extirpated decades ago by ranchers and hunters although a few have migrated from Wyoming over the years but CPW basically thinks that effectively there haven’t been any since the 1940’s. There’s always been such a fear of wolves so this reintroduction was heavily debated. To assuage rancher concerns, according to the CPW’s website…
All released wolves will be monitored using satellite GPS collars, which will inform managers on survival and dispersal, as well as future release protocols. As packs establish, effort will be made to collar at least one member of each pack with emphasis on breeding adults. The desired standard will be to have two collars in each pack; whether this is achievable for every pack in the state will be determined following reintroduction (emphasis added).
Elsa: Sounds like the CPW is going to keep a close eye on them. Say, didn’t your daughter visit a wolf sanctuary several years ago in a private photography session that allowed her to be right in their enclosures with them?
The Mom: Indeed she did. It was a surprise birthday gift from her husband and one of the most amazing experiences she’s ever had. Just check out some of their images from their gallery of these magnificent creatures.
Elsa: Wow, how cool that she could go inside the enclosures and be among those amazing creatures! Now this, is what I call nature, Mom.
The Mom: It sure is and she was thrilled beyond words to be able to spend an entire day taking it all in. She’s always had a spiritual connection to wolves.
Elsa: Pretty doggone cool, Mom. So what’s shakin’ for Santa Paws’ arrival? Are we going to spend the holiday with my Grandpa?
The Mom: We sure are, should be another wonderful get-together with several family members. Christmas was Mom’s birthday so we’ll all be thinking of her and raising a glass to toast her memory.
Elsa: So dear readers, what are your plans for Christmas. I’ve been good being a relative term good so I’m sure ‘Santa Paws’ will leave me some nice gifts. Do you open your presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?
The Mom: However you spend the holiday, Elsa and I wish you a day filled with magic, peace and joy and we hope you are able to enjoy slices of Nature’s beauty this next week. Can you believe it, 2024 is just around the corner?
Elsa: Good heavens…now that IS rather unbelievable. Best wishes from me and Mom. We ‘woof’ you a very Merry Christmas.
Live, love, bark! 🐾
Merry Christmas! Those pictures of the wolves are gorgeous!
Wolves are so beautiful!
Merry Christmas!!
We stayed home and our two sons came by…after we got home from Church. Then we exchanged ‘white elephant’ gifts,
They truly are beautiful and ever so majestic! Sounds like you had a lovely holiday. We did too. Now to get back on track and start exercising all the holiday off! LOL
We have neighbors with a half wolf since a pup. He’s beautiful. Merry Christmas to all there!
I’ll just bet he is! Sending our best wishes for a very…
★Merry★* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★Christmas★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
\˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門｜ ˚
Thank you for the video of the wolves being released. They all came out of the kennels running! I’ve been following the story on NPR.
We’re staying home for the holidays and having the kids over, going to Red Lobster for supper on the 25th so I don’t have to cook, LOL! Have a great time with your Dad and tell him one of your blog followers wishes him a good Christmas.
Many thanks for your Christmas wishes. It made us both smile. The other bonus about eating out…there’s no cleaning up the kitchen after all that cookin’. 🤣
Wishing you a Christmas that’s merry and bright. Hugs and tail wags from our house to yours.
I remember seeing a report on the releasing of wolves in Yosemite National Park some years ago and the incredible difference it made to the landscape of the entire area. Should be interesting to see what happens here over the next few years.
We’re keeping our paws crossed that they survive and thrive. Wolves are just too majestic to not be able to be part of the environment. Best wishes to you, Annabell and Benji for a Happy Christmas. 🎄
Watching these wolves as they’re being released leaves me both melancholy and awestruck. The former because it makes me think of all the creatures who are confined and how very unnatural it is for them to be so. Their initial hesitation when they were released is what stirred that emotion in me. But my God, they are magical creatures!
As for y’all, enjoy the Christmas weekend. Hugs to all.
It was a bit melancholy to see them hesitate like that…as if they were trying to process what had happened and what could happen. It was as if the curtain rose and they dashed to freedom. May you and your enjoy a joyous holiday, Marc.
Wolves are so amazing and gorgeous……while I can understand rancher’s concerns, bringing wolves back normalizes the landscape and the balance of nature and we love that. As for being ready for Christmas I hope you are – Santa probably is busy packing up goodies for all of us who have been good (and I’m SURE you have!) so now it’s just waiting (and eating!) our way to the BIG DAY. We wish you the merriest of Christmases and a wonderful and peaceful new year to come. Thanks for being our friends!
Hugs, Pam and Teddy too
We agree with you. Man needs to stop laying a heavy thumb on the scale and correct imbalance when possible. Ready? Umm, maybe by December 26! LOL We hope you and Teddy have a wonderful Christmas. 🎄
Kudos to everyone involved in helping that wolf population. Happy Holidays and Best Wishes to the entire Ranch! Santa Paws will be on his way soon!🐾🎅🏿
Thanks, Bruce. We were pleased they managed to release the first wolves ahead of the December 31st deadline. Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas 🎄
Those wolves looked happy to be home. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season.
Thank you, Dan. A couple seemed initially confused but realized quickly they could exit their containers for freedoms. Woo-hoo. Best holiday wishes from our house to yours.
And to you and yours.
This is a fascinating post. I did not know about Proposition 114 and the reintroduction of wolves in Colorado. You are right, it used to be their territory, they provided balance in nature, so why shouldn’t they be allowed to exist. They are beautiful animals. The grey wolves have been reintroduced in the northern Sweden as well, which is where I am from. When I visit, I am not afraid of the wolves but I am a bit a nervous about the brown bears which have become much more common in recent years as well. I would not like to meet a brown bear while walking in the forest. Here in Texas we don’t have wolves or brown bears but lots of coyote.
Thanks, Thomas. Brown bears are always unpredictable, whereas (at least I think so) wolves will try to avoid encounters with humans unless they’re very hungry. Hopefully the overabundance of deer and elk will keep them well fed. Truthfully we were quite surprised Prop 114 passed, it was a very contentious subject.
I sincerely hope the wolves will survive all the hazards presented by humans. Keeping my fingers crossed. Thanks for the heartwarming info.
Thank you! We’re keeping our paws crossed for them too and hope the over population of deer and elk will keep them from any livestock. What I’d give to hear their joyful howls!
Did the wolves get smart watches so they can track themselves? Wolves are always a topic here in northern MN but it is the hunting of them. Hunting is again allowed but they are trying to get it stopped again. Poor wolves. Such beautiful creatures. They have been around so long and farmers learned to deal with it. Stuff happens with animals, but no one wants to deal with those problems.
The hunting of wolves really cranks my handle. The brutality man inflicts at times is quite incomprehensible. Last time I checked few of us had to hunt to live and trophies for killing a sentient living creature is just abhorrent to me.
That video made my heart swell. I’ve been advocate for wolves for a lifetime and they are truly misunderstood. I had the good fortune to get up close and personal (with their handler and wolf educator) for a story I was working on. I learned so much. I understand that they can get ranchers’ stock, and that is their livelihood, but eradicating them is not the answer. They truly are majestic and deserve to be free and cared for. Watching them run out of the crates was wonderful. Can’t wait to share this. Such a great post! Thank you for keeping us up to date! Hugs to Elsa! xo
So glad this post touched your heart. We got goosebumps watching the release. We are major fans of wolves-they’re majesty is without equal. I will note that wolves were on those lands long before ranchers moved in and hope the abundance of deer and elk keep them from crossing paths with cranky ranchers. Hugs and tail wags with best wishes for a happy ‘howliday.’
Nice to see animals returned to the wild.
Passage of that proposition really surprised us. We know all too well the animosity ranchers hold against wolves and pray they can thrive and co-exist without the usual acrimony with these magnificent creatures.
Co-existing is what life is all about. Ps… I sent a copy of the video to a good friend to enjoy.
Thanks for spreading the video. It gave us goosebumps to see them head first the trees and under brush.
How wonderful it must have been. Thanks for your work!
Wasn’t just me; there were 1,590,298 others (50.91%) out of over 3M votes. 😉
A huge step towards reestablishing the natural balance, very exciting! We once visited a wolf sanctuary when the boys were little, but no visitors allowed inside the fence. 🙂 It was a memorable learning experience, esp. for the kids.
A quiet Christmas is planned, hope yours is festive and merry! Safe travels!
We remain cautiously optimistic. Ranchers and wolves have shared a long and ugly history. Karna was so lucky to have gotten to spend the day with her spirit animal. I was so incredibly happy for her and loved the emphasis the sanctuary endeavors by trying to educate humans. Best wishes for a wonderful Christmas 🎄
Wolves are magnificent creatures and deserve a break. Merry Christmas Elsa and Monika.
We couldn’t agree any more with that sentiment! Best wishes for a truly joyous holiday to you and yours, John.
Thank you, Monika.
It sounds as if Colorado is doing this properly…wolf reintroduction in the Alps and the Pyrenees went ahead without taking into account the flocks of sheep installed there and there is a lot of ill feeling.
Trust me, there’s a lot of ill feeling here too. I somewhat understand rancher’s concerns but they do receive compensation when a wolf attacks their livestock which often is on free rent or low fee rent public lands. Still, the proposal went to the voters and they spoke their approval. Not that it’ll change any minds.
Never does….the sheep farmers would dearly like to have a few Greens mauled by wolves…
It’s funny when you think about it. Cattle ranchers don’t like sheep ranchers and vice versa. Guess that tough life style makes for crabbish folks. 😉
Distinctly!
They are such beautiful creatures! I hope they fare well. And how wonderful for your daughter to find herself amongst them!
We always have an exchange on Christmas Eve (I think they call it White Elephant?) which generates tonnes of laughs.
Then, with my kids, on Christmas morning…
Merry Christmas to you and the Ranch hands! xoxo
We are very fascinated with wolves for many reasons…not the least of which they were the beginnings of dog DNA. Sure am grateful for that! Wishing you and yours a joyeux Noël! 🎄
Yes, absolutely. My goodness these are all gorgeous.
Merci beaucoup mon amie!! xoxo
You can almost see their souls in those beautiful eyes.
Yes. You can.
Wishing you guys a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year 🎄🎉
Many thanks, with best wishes for your whole gang in return! 🎄
Lulu: “Ooh, our Mama and Dada went to the wolf center up in Julian once and they said that their takeaways were that, one, wolves are HUUUUUGE, and two, wolves are NOT dogs.”
Java Bean: “Ayyy, did they not already know that?”
Lulu: “Well they did, but it’s different when you actually see a wolf in person. So to speak.”
Java Bean: “I will take your word for it.”
Lulu: “Merry Christmas, friends!”
Java Bean: “¡Feliz Navidad!”
Fleas Navidog, Java Bean. Yes, Lulu, they aren’t the same as us dogs and some specimens are quite huge. But they’re all truly fascinating and have a super family culture.
Let’s hope there are no issues (people issues!) with the release. Nature has it’s way of managing things.
We hope so too but expect there will be problems-there always are when it comes to wolves and ranchers.
Wow … Mom seems to be on her way to returning to herself. Nice toast to CPW and their wolf reintroduction. Merry Christmas to all … and here’s something for the winter solstice. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGTILQ7yYV4
Thanks, Frank. Watching those reintroduced wolves being released into the wild gave us goosebumps. We loved the fire flame and violin/piano music. Fleas Navidog!
Such elegant creatures, the wolves. Merry Christmas to all of you!
Thanks Debra. They are so majestic-we don’t understand why people hate them so much. Best wishes for happy holidays!