Colorado’s first five wolves were released on December 18, 2023, and five more were released shortly thereafter. Miraculously, later in spring 2024 a pack of seven individuals formed with a father, mother and five of their children who came to be called the Copper Creek pack.

These parents were the first breeding pair in the state since wolves were eradicated by the mid-1940s by shooting, trapping and poisoning. They and the five youngsters contain the DNA of Colorado’s future wolves.

The presence of this first family was widely celebrated by many people but unfortunately, their existence as an extended and tightly knit family lasted only a short period of time. In late August into early September, the pack was unnecessarily and heartlessly dismantled by the very people who brought them from Oregon to their new home in Colorado. Their lives were ravaged simply for being the animals we wanted on the ground. I attended the first release of these wolves, each with a different personality ranging from shy to bold to somewhere in between. I never thought I’d be telling this sordid tale.

The end result of the scientifically unsound and ethically indefensible dissolution of this family group was that the father died shortly after being trapped and caged, mom and four of her children were placed into captivity, and one youngster is still on the loose. The emotional lives of these highly social, extremely intelligent, deeply emotional and sentient beings was thoroughly ignored in this assault on their lives. It’s deeply troubling to think about what these magnificent beings were feeling when they were pursued, captured and their deep social bonds were forever ripped apart. Imagine what your dog would feel in a similar situation.

The wolves’ voices were totally ignored — their deep anguish and grief went unheard — and now we must be their voice and speak for them. If you don’t speak out for these wolves and others, if you don’t speak out for keeping them alive, future wolves will surely be ill-fated. The life of every single individual matters.

Let’s keep Colorado’s new wild residents alive and rejoice knowing there are wild wolves roaming about. By forming a pack and breeding the wolves did what we wanted them to do by making more of themselves. They shouldn’t be punished for engaging in wolf-appropriate behavior. We brought them here. They are major stakeholders in this repatriation project, they became our new neighbors, and we are responsible for their well-being.

One way to speak for the wolves on the first anniversary of their becoming Colorado residents is to light a candle for the Copper Creek pack and other wolves and keep them in your heart. Let’s celebrate wild live wolves.

Marc Bekoff is a professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology at CU Boulder. He has published numerous books and his homepage is marcbekoff.com.