In the last several weeks, there have at least two wild animal-human confrontations in Colorado, resulting in serious injuries to a 9-year-old boy in one case.
In May this year, a story coming out of Banff concerning a wolf attack on a vacationing family should give Coloradans pause when considering voting to reintroduce the wolf into Colorado.
The Washington Post reported that a family of four were attacked in their tent while asleep. The adult male while trying to defend his family was seized by the leg and was being dragged from the tent by the wolf. The intervention by a courageous fellow camper prevented the situation from a tragic ending.
Canada has huge areas of thinly populated, if inhabited at all, forested lands that can accommodate the predator. Colorado lacks this luxury.
While Colorado has wolves, they have come into the state on their own. These wolves are being managed by Parks and Wildlife, which opposes this reintroduction.
An artificial introduction program, such as that called for by the proposed Restore Gray Wolf Population Initiative, has a high probability of many more human-wolf confrontations.
The livestock industry, contributing in excess of $4 billion a year to Colorado, would surely be damaged as well with the reintroduction program.
With human population growth trending up in rural Colorado, perhaps we should take a more realistic look at what the state and its people can actually accommodate.
Art Requena
Cortez
