In making the moral decision to return wolves to Colorado, voters recognized the grave injustice of the 20th century, when wolves, along with bison and other species, were ruthlessly slaughtered until they ceased to exist in Colorado and most of the United States.

Recently, Colorado’s first wolf family, the Copper Creek pack, was captured by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) and placed in temporary captivity. According to CPW, at least one member of the pack had repeatedly hunted livestock, and wildlife officials (rightly) wanted to prevent further livestock depredation. We hope that the puppies and their mother will be released into the wild this winter and the puppies will learn to hunt wild ungulates, which Colorado has in abundance.

Although wolves occasionally and opportunistically prey on livestock, this is not the norm – even in wolf-occupied states. In Montana, for example, the USDA reported that of the nearly 4 million head of cattle and calves in 2015, cattle losses to ALL predators accounted for only about 2% of all cattle deaths, with wolves accounting for well under 1%. These statistics are also typical of other states occupied by wolves. Disease, birth complications, lightning and winter weather kill many, many times more livestock than wolves ever will.

That said, wildlife managers realize that livestock depredation is not evenly distributed among all producers, so even a small amount of wolf depredation may fall on just a handful of farmers. That’s why Proposition 114 also provided generous funding to not only compensate producers for livestock killed by wolves, but also to help pay for proven tools to prevent conflicts between wolves and farm animals, such as guard dogs, range riders, and fladers. We have constantly worked to ensure that we do not leave behind people whose activities may be negatively impacted by wolves. Colorado is creating a future where we care for nature and our people.

For 150 years since wolves have been absent, cattle ranchers haven’t had to think about them, and we know it will take some time to get used to the presence of wolves on the landscape. I hope and encourage producers to take advantage of the funding and technical assistance provided by the public and CPW. As we work through the bumps in the road to Colorado’s wolves recovery, we must remember that only nine months have passed. This process will take time. CPW, the Colorado Department of Agriculture and nonprofit wildlife organizations are working to make resources available to livestock producers so they can adapt their processes and ensure they have what they need to live and operate successfully with wolves.

Now we need patience for ourselves and for the wolves with whom we now share our state. We need CPW to continue its good work and reach out to communities with resources and training before new wolves arrive, so that the people who may be impacted are prepared and have what they need to succeed. We also need help from the various cattle and ranching associations in Colorado. Above all, we need perspective and keeping the bigger picture in mind — we are restoring a native species that has been absent from the Colorado landscape for nearly two centuries.

Colorado has made history with restoring wolves, and if we choose to be in the amazing state that I know we are in, we can become a model for the world in how we choose to live with wolves.

Ryan Sedgeley, JD, MA, ENR, is the Southern Rockies field representative for the Endangered Species Coalition. Lives in Montrose. He has spent the last decade in and around the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, gaining an appreciation for the important role of wolves and bison in North American ecosystems.