Colorado wolf likely killed by mountain lion, necropsy says

Colorado's first fatality of a released wolf was likely by the teeth of a mountain lion, according to a necropsy.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the results of the death of the wolf in Larimer County found April 18 in a news release Tuesday.

The initial necropsy by the service found the cause of death as "trauma, consistent with predation. Though not definitive, the puncture wounds in the skull are consistent with those typically inflicted by a mountain lion,'' according to the release.

Joe Szuszwalak, spokesperson for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Lakewood, told the Coloradoan that in recent years, there are at least three confirmed reports of mountain lions killing wolves in Washington and Oregon.

He said additional information regarding the results are unavailable until the law enforcement report is closed.

The Coloradoan asked Szuszwalak the wolf's collar number, sex, weight, health and location of where the wolf was discovered. He said that information is the responsibility of Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

The state agency captured the wolf in northeastern Oregon and released it along with nine other wolves in Grand or Summit county in December of 2023.

The Coloradoan requested details of the deceased wolf from Colorado Parks and Wildlife on Tuesday morning.

Late Tuesday afternoon, the agency refused to identify details about the deceased wolf, including the collar number, citing such information is protected under the Colorado Open Records Act.

The agency claims in the email under the act it can withhold information that "reveals the specific location or could be used to determine the specific location of . . . an individual animal or group of animals.''

It points out identifying the wolf or wolves potentially involved could allow someone to determine the specific location of those animals.

However, in this case, the wolf is dead and it is unclear how that principal could apply to not releasing the collar number and other details about the deceased animal.

This story will be updated as more info is available.

At last report, the nine other released wolves are alive, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Mountain lion likely killed Colorado wolf according to necropsy