(COLORADO) — Thousands of middle school students voted, and the top five names have been assigned to the first wolves released into the wild in Colorado.
The naming contest was organized by the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center (CWWC), a nonprofit in Divide, in November 2023. The contest was extended to every public middle school in Colorado, encompassing approximately 200,000 5th to 8th-grade students. Homeschooled children of qualifying grades were also eligible.
According to CWWC, a total of 67 schools participated, and thousands of students submitted their votes from all corners of the state.
Winning names:
River (Signifying peace and growth) – light gray male
Aspen (Native to Colorado. Meaning “shield” and “magical powers”) – darker gray female
Maverick (Independent, rebel) – gray female
Ghost (Spirit of the forest) – black female
Shadow (Elusive, secretive) – black female
CWWC posted a video to Facebook, courtesy of Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), showing the wolves and their corresponding names, as they were being released into the wild.
CWWC said the names of the wolves were selected based on their popularity using two survey mediums – Mentimeter and Google forms.
Wolf reintroduction officially began in December, despite a last-minute request for a restraining order to block the process. While a judge rejected the request, the lawsuit — filed by Colorado ranching groups — is still making its way through the courts.
CPW said it’s working to reintroduce 15 wolves by the middle of March.
