Colorado wolf pack kills cow for first time in 70 years

A 500 pound purebred replacement heifer was attacked and eaten by the wolves, the association said in a statement (Getty Images/ Representative image)

A pack of wolves in Colorado killed and ate a livestock cow, in first such incident in more than 70 years, officials confirmed on Monday.

The Colorado Cattlemen’s Association said the killing happened near Walden, an area known to be home to wolf packs.

A 500 pound purebred replacement heifer was attacked and eaten by the wolves, the association said in a statement.

“An approximately 500 lbs purebred replacement heifer was found dead after being attacked and eaten by this pack of wolves. This is the first confirmed wolf kill of livestock in Colorado in over 70 years,” the statement read.

Other details of the attack on the cow were not immediately clear.

The killing comes in the same year Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) confirmed that a pack was active in the northern central part of the state. Individual wolves were seen in the area, according to CCA before the confirmation was released earlier this year.

The association said officials of the CPW are working closely with the livestock producer to gather more information on the attack.

Steve Wooten, CCA’s president said: “On behalf of the livestock producer, who is a member of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association (CCA), as well as Colorado Parks and Wildlife, we ask that the public refrain from disturbing the area and individuals associated with this wolf attack.

The CCA has sought actions from the Wolf Restoration and Management Plan — including lethal and non-lethal methods of hazing of wolves for conflict minimisation and guaranteed funding that allows CPW to “fairly provide the needed tools for prevention and compensation from wolf impact”.

It added that the impact if such kills go beyond just death and injury, and cause far reaching consequences of livestock’s performance, including loss of pregnancy, weight loss and imbalance range usage among others.

An official from CPW said they will compensate the landowner if a natural migration of wolves into the area is established, according to a local report.

“If it is determined to be depredation by the wolves in the area that have naturally migrated into the state, we will compensate the landowner through our current game damage program," said Rebecca Ferrell, CPW’s branding and communications section manager.

The CPW said it is yet to formalise an official process for reimbursement of damage caused by wolves and hence will handle this damage compensation under its current game damage which takes into account depredation caused by mountain lions or bears.