Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) confirmed on Tuesday a minimum count of six wolf pups belonging to the One Ear Pack in Jackson County have been spotted, and recorded on video.

“This additional confirmation of successful gray wolf reproduction in Colorado is an important milestone in restoration efforts as we work to establish a self-sustaining wolf population,” Jeff Davis, director of Colorado Parks and Wildlife said. “CPW continues to monitor four recognized packs in Northwest Colorado as well as other wolves in the state.”

According to CPW, as a minimum count, the number confirmed on Tuesday is not a guaranteed number of total pups due to the challenges in detecting them at this time of year.

“We know that there are at least six pups in the One Ear Pack but there is a possibility that there were additional pups we did not see,” Eric Odell, wolf conservation program manager said. “However, detection of pups early on is inherently low due to a number of factors including their size, use of densely covered homesites, and time potentially underground.”

CPW said female gray wolves can give birth to an average litter of between 4-6 pups, but pup survival in the wild varies widely by location, and is difficult to study. Rough estimates place survival rates for the first year at between 50% and 60%.

The average lifespan of a gray wolf in the Rocky Mountains is generally 3-4 years.

CPW said that intentional disruption of any pack by the public is considered harassment and perpetrators will be subject to fines.

Additionally, Colorado’s wolf packs may be residing on privately owned lands. Going onto private lands without getting permission first is considered trespassing which is subject to punishment by the local jurisdiction.

For more information regarding Colorado wolf packs, visit CPW here.