One of Colorado’s 10 imported wolves was found dead this week in Larimer County, reportedly of natural causes.

The price of being a boutique wolf state has already reached about $1.6 million — or about $160,000 million per wolf.

So, taxpayers are already down that much for obtaining an unhealthy wolf. Add in the two wolves with a history of chronic depredation, and the state has already wasted nearly half a million dollars on defective wolves.

Tragically, these apex predators were kidnapped from their perfectly happy homes in other established states and dumped in the high country to make Front Range voters feel good about themselves.

Also, it’s a bragging right for Gov. Polis, who will undoubtably use it when he eventually runs for president.

Polis’s office finally released a statement late Monday addressing the mayhem brought by the handful of wolves and basically told livestock owners to get over it.

“It is widely known that wolves are opportunistic hunters and Colorado voters were fully aware of the diet of wolves and made the decision to reintroduce wolves.”

Right, and this is how voters view opportunistic hunters, thanks to progressives like Polis.

Polis’s office assured livestock owners the same agency that imported the defective wolves will be along shortly to show them how to scare away the deadly animals by non-lethal means.

Signs, perhaps, telling wolves to just go away and find something else to eat. Or scarecrows. Maybe ranchers could hire migrants to camp with livestock and yell “Boo!” whenever a wolf approaches.

From The Coloradoan:

As of Monday, Colorado Parks and Wildlife has confirmed that wolves in the state have accounted for 27 injuries or death to livestock and the animals that herd and guard them. Depredations have injured or killed 21 cattle, three sheep and three working cattle dogs.

Polis plans to release another 30-50 wolves between December and March 2025.