A wildlife team from the United States has begun an operation to capture grey wolves in British Columbia for release in Colorado.

The operation by Colorado Parks and Wildlife comes after an agreement with the B.C. government to B次元官网网址渢ranslocateB次元官网网址� up to 15 wolves a year over the next three to five years.

Colorado Parks says in a statement that the capture operation follows work to adopt measures that will minimize conflict between wolves and livestock.

It says the operation is expected to last up to two weeks, with the goal to B次元官网网址渞ecover and maintain a viable, self-sustaining wolf population in Colorado.B次元官网网址�

The state says the B.C. wolves will be tested and treated for disease before they are relocated, and collars will be placed on the animals to monitor their behaviours.

Colorado voters approved a ballot initiative in 2020 to reintroduce the animals as a way of restoring ecological balance.

The state began the process by bringing five wolves from Oregon in late 2023.

Eric Odell, ColoradoB次元官网网址檚 wolf program manager, says in a news release issued Saturday that they were B次元官网网址渆xcited to be working with B.C. to bring together our combined experience and expertise while ensuring the safety of animals and staff.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淭his new source population of grey wolves will provide additional genetic diversity to ColoradoB次元官网网址檚 wolf population,B次元官网网址� he says.

The state says the B.C. wolves will come from areas where no livestock is present, B次元官网网址渟o there are no concerns about reintroducing wolves that are from packs that are involved in situations of repeated livestock depredations.B次元官网网址�

The B.C. government says grey wolves are not an endangered or threatened species in the province, with an estimated population of 8,500.