DENVER — One of 10 gray wolves reintroduced to Colorado in December was found dead in Larimer County, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed.

Federal officials found out about the wolf on Thursday, agency spokesperson Joe Szuszwalak said in an email Tuesday night.

Initial evidence shows the wolf likely died of natural causes, Szuszwalak said. U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials will investigate the death under the Endangered Species Act, and the wolf’s carcass was sent off for a necropsy to determine cause of death.

Szuszwalak did not answer questions regarding whether the wolf was found on public or private land or who found the wolf. A spokesperson for Colorado Parks and Wildlife did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The already-contentious gray wolf reintroduction sparked further concerns among Colorado ranchers this month after wolves killed six cattle in Grand and Jackson counties.

The 12 wolves tracked by state wildlife officials — 10 released in December as part of the voter-mandated reintroduction effort and two that migrated from Wyoming — established a broad range across Colorado’s mountains, roaming from near the Wyoming border to south of Avon and from Meeker to Granby.

_____

©2024 MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit at denverpost.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.