Why conservationists want to bring wolves back to Colorado.
When you think of the quintessential American species, what comes to mind? Buffalo? Bald eagles? What about ... the gray wolf?
It probably wasn't the first thing you thought of, but maybe it should be.
After all, the gray wolf was once common all across the country, frequently seen — or heard howling — by America’s earliest settlers everywhere.
Image via iStock.
But unlike the American buffalo or the bald eagle, the gray wolf got a really bad rap early on.
Instead of admiring or cherishing them, people were simply afraid of wolves. And when settlers moved out West, wolves there were especially hated by ranchers who didn't want them killing their cattle.
Unfortunately, this meant that for centuries, wolves were hunted and trapped for sport and to protect livestock.
By the end of the 19th century, ranchers, farmers, and settlers weren’t the only ones killing wolves: A government-sponsored extermination plan was launched, and by the 1950s, wolves were mostly wiped out from their historic ranges in the lower 48 states — including Colorado.
Wolves are still largely absent from Colorado today, but they don’t need to be.
Studies have shown that a great habitat and healthy prey populations — notably elk — are available for gray wolves throughout the western half of Colorado, including areas in the Flat Tops.
A view of the Flat Tops Wilderness area in Colorado. Image via USDA/Flickr.
For conservationists and wildlife management, it’s just a question of how to bring the wolves back.
One way to do this is to just help wolves migrate naturally from surrounding states. In Colorado’s neighboring states, wolf populations have been growing, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials. Because these animals are known to travel long distances while hunting prey, they could come into Colorado on their own.
Gray wolves are currently protected by the Endangered Species Act in Colorado, so killing a wolf is against the law and can result in serious penalties — including criminal charges, a year in prison, and a fine of up to $10,000. This means that if a gray wolf crosses state lines into Colorado, it should be protected — though there has been a lot of pressure to weaken federal wildlife protection laws lately.
Image via iStock.
There have already been occasional one-off sightings of gray wolves in Colorado, and last year, state park officials issued a statement letting residents know they should expect to see more wolves in the state because of the wolves' tendency to migrate.
But letting it happen naturally is not only slow, it's not guaranteed to work. Many migrating wolves end up running across dangerous highways and roads and not reaching their ideal habitats.
And, given that a recent court ruling could allow wolves to be shot on sight in much of Wyoming, it is unlikely that a viable population of wolves could come to occupy Colorado through natural recolonization because the journey to get there would simply be too dangerous.
In addition, for some wolf packs, there is just simply too much distance between their current homes up north and western Colorado to make the journey.
So another way to bring wolves home to Colorado is through reintroduction into wilderness areas.
A wolf pack in Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park. Image via iStock.
Reintroduction efforts were a success in Yellowstone National Park, and they helped restore the natural balance of the ecosystem. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has helped restore wolves to other states too, including New Mexico, Arizona, Idaho, and Montana.
Unfortunately, in January 2016, the Colorado Wildlife Commission rejected a proposal to deliberately re-establish wolves in the state. This was largely because ranchers as well as some hunters and locals campaigned against it.
But conservation groups, like the Rocky Mountain Wolf Project, aren’t giving up just yet. Instead, they're working to change people’s minds about wolves.
Image via iStock.
Wolves are not ruthless killers; they actually go out of their way to avoid humans. Attacks on humans in North America are virtually unheard of, and no lethal attack by wild, healthy wolves has ever been confirmed in the lower 48 states; only one or two have been recorded in the Canadian and Alaskan wilderness.
And while wolves do hunt big game, such as elk, that doesn't mean that they are going to kill them all. In fact, they don't —healthy herds of elk and deer can be found throughout wolf country in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. And wolves can also help other species by keeping the number of deer and elk under control, which allows certain animals like songbirds, beavers, and bears to thrive.
People also love to see wolves in nature; after all, wolves are some pretty incredible creatures. Some travelers even go wolf-watching in Yellowstone. Wouldn't it be great if they did the same in Colorado?
We can bring wolves back to Colorado if scientists develop and implement a re-establishment plan that relies on reintroductions (like what was done in Yellowstone) and if they listen to the needs and concerns of local residents. And from there, the wolves can take care of the rest.
If you want to help the Rocky Mountain Wolf Project bring wolves back to Colorado, check out their website and sign up to find out more about ways to help.
A wolf pup. Image via iStock.
Wolves are an important part of our natural landscape and an important part our history. Maybe someday soon they will roam Colorado once again.
Beaver in water. Photo by 
An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price River
Behold, the Rye Riptides miniboat. 
A man sweating in his car.via
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."