DENVER Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) announced in a press release Saturday that it began capture operations of gray wolves in British Columbia as part of a second round of the voter-mandated wolf reintroduction program in the state. CPW said in the release that up to 15 wolves will be captured in the Canadian province, relocated via aircraft, and released in Colorado this month, following measures to minimize wolf-livestock conflicts.The province is home to about 8,500 wolves, but that number fluctuates year to year, according to British Columbia's website.The captured wolves will be examined, treated, and fitted with collars for monitoring before being transported to Colorado. The operation is expected to last up to two weeks and aims to increase the likelihood of wolf pairing, breeding, and pack formation among the state's existing population.According to an interview with CPW Director Jeff Davis in September, British Columbia's wolf packs live in areas with little to no livestock presence, aligning with Colorado's goal to ensure relocated wolves do not have a depredation history. This is important, Davis explains, because Colorados existing population have been involved in livestock depredation, with 26 livestock deaths across 16 incidents west of the Continental Divide in 2024.Dec. 18 marked one year since CPW released the first five gray wolves in Colorado, initially in Grand County, followed by another five in Grand and Summit counties. These wolves, captured in Oregon, have since spread. Denver7 published an in-depth report on the one-year mark and the year ahead, and aired the below story in December. Colorado secures a new source location for this winter's second wolf releaseThe Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan aims to translocate 10 to 15 wolves annually, with a target of 30 to 50 wolves over three to five years. Once achieved, CPW will focus on monitoring the wolf population to ensure it becomes self-sustaining.Want to learn more about Colorado's wolf reintroduction? You can explore the timeline below, which outlines all of Denver7's coverage since the very beginning. The timeline starts with our most recent story.