"DENVER - Colorado officially launches a controversial experiment next month: State officials will release up to 10 gray wolves as mandated by a 2020 state law that unleashed proverbial howls of protest from opponents.
Wolves have long been a divisive species, particularly in rural areas where many farmers and ranchers consider them an unacceptable risk to both humans and livestock. But for many Americans, they evoke a powerful and meaningful emotional connection with wild places and the natural world.
In keeping with that divide, Colorado voters barely approved the wolves' reintroduction, and the law received most of its support from liberal urban residents living far from where the wolves will be released.
Colorado is planning to release dozens of wolves captured from Oregon over time, with officials hoping that will be enough to ultimately create self-sustaining packs totaling 150-200 animals."