The US Fish and Wildlife Service is offering a reward for information regarding the killing of the male of the Copper Creek wolf pack.

The male, known as 2309-OR, was captured in Grand County on Aug. 30 and died on Sept. 3. He was found to be in poor condition.

USFWS said a necropsy, which has not yet been released because the investigation is ongoing, revealed that a gunshot wound “initiated the poor condition of the wolf and ultimately led to the cause of death.”

Wolf 2309-OR was one of 10 wolves from Oregon, which came from packs with a history of killing livestock in that state, that were relocated to Colorado a year ago.

The male paired with one of the females and during the spring the duo produced a pack of at least four pups. The breeding pair was believed responsible for the deaths of dozens of livestock in Grand County, with the male being the primary predator. 

After numerous complaints from ranchers, Colorado Parks and Wildlife began a roundup to capture the six wolves and to place them temporarily in a wildlife sanctuary, believed to be in southeastern Colorado.

The female and the four pups are slated to be released within the next few months, and based on requirements from the state wolf management plan, likely into the same area where they were captured.

Two wolves are now believed to have been shot. Another wolf (2307-OR) died from a wolf attack in September but was found with a healed gunshot wound.

The state wildlife agency plans to obtain up to 15 more gray wolves from British Columbia and release them in Colorado this spring in one or more of three counties: Eagle, Garfield and Pitkin. 

USFWS said gray wolves in Colorado are listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), making it illegal to harass, harm or kill them without federal authorization. The federal agency is offering a monetary award but didn’t say how much.

In its statement, USFWS said anyone with information regarding the death of this wolf, or any other federal wildlife crimes, is urged to contact the agency’s wildlife crime hotline by using any of the following methods: 1-844-FWS-TIPS (397-8477), FWS_TIPS@fws.gov, or https://www.fws.gov/wildlife-crime-tips.

Wolves in Colorado have killed dozens of livestock and working dogs in the past year.

Ranchers recently submitted claims to Colorado Parks and Wildlife in December totaling $581,000 for damages caused by wolves. That far exceeds what the state has available to pay those claims.

Wild Earth Guardians’ Lindsay Larris said late Thursday “While we obviously don’t know who shot this wolf, this illegal poaching aligns with other ongoing attempts to halt wolf restoration…Wolves belong in Colorado, and our outdoors is healthier with them here. We encourage anyone with information about the illegal shooting of this Copper Creek wolf to contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and receive your well-earned monetary award. People who break poaching laws should be prosecuted to the furthest extent of the law.”