Northern Colorado ranchers reflect on the arrival of the wolves who migrated down from Wyoming

Wyoming Public Radio | By Melodie Edwards

A recent decision to reintroduce wolves has created division between rural and urban Coloradoans. But wolves have actually been there a while. A few years ago, a couple migrated down from Wyoming to settle in the mountain valley of North Park, southwest of Laramie. It’s given the ranchers there a headstart on adjusting to a new reality.

As soon as I climbed out of the car, longtime North Parker Gayle Woodsum pointed out a coyote jogging away from her animal rescue ranch.

“Oh, there's one right there now,” she said, pointing.

“Oh, yeah,” I said. “I can see it walking across the meadow over there.”

Not only coyotes come on her land but also wolves. And Woodsum has good reason to worry about wolves attacking her animals.

“I have mostly rescues and retired animals,” she said. “So I have animals that are not well, I have animals that are really, really old, and they've been traumatized in the past, and so they're actually very vulnerable.”