Colorado Wolf and Wildlife has announced a naming contest for the first wolves that will be reintroduced into their original native historical range.

It’s believed the last wild wolf part of an established population was killed in 1945. We believe that the children of Colorado should all have the opportunity to be a part of this significant event. CWWC decided that middle school children encompassing grades 5-8th would be the perfect age group for this project. We aim to provide information about the wolf reintroduction to anyone who is interested, including students from other grades. 

Students can choose from a list of 14 potential names for the wolves. They will have access to an educational script and the rules for the contest. Each student will have the opportunity to vote once for their favorite name. The contest opened November 27, 2023, and conclude December 20, 2023.

We have sent this invitation to all public middle schools in Colorado we could reach. If your school has not been contacted and would like to participate in this historic endeavor, email wolfcontestco@gmail.com with “Wolf Naming Contest” in the subject line.

The votes will be calculated utilizing two electronic forms. The results will be finalized no later than January 1, 2024, and the name with the most votes will be assigned to the first released wolf. This process will be followed for all subsequent wolves, using the names that receive the majority of votes.

At this time, we are unsure how many wolves will be released in the first round. However, we will soon receive the Federal ID number for each wolf, which will be matched with a name.

The names of the wolves and the participating schools will be announced publicly.

After the naming, you can stay updated by visiting our website, www.wolfeducation.org, as well as the website of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife department. It is believed that the first wolves to have paws on the ground will be by December 31, 2023. 

For more information, contact:

Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center
4729 Twin Rocks Road
Divide, CO 80814

Email: tours@wolfeducation.org ATTN: Kelly
www.wolfeducation.org