Photo credit: Getty Images

It was a case of mistaken identity when a hunter shot at what he thought was a coyote near Wolford Mountain Reservoir in Grand County, Colorado on April 29. After recovering the animal and examining it closely, the hunter immediately turned it over to authorities, believing it to be a gray wolf.

Unfortunately, the hunter was correct. 

Photo credit: Colorado Mule Deer Association

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Forensics Laboratory in Ashland has completed the DNA analysis and announced yesterday that the animal killed was indeed a gray wolf and not a coyote. As goHUNT previously reported, the hunter acted appropriately by notifying Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) immediately, who then contacted FWS. While Colorado does not have an officially recognized population of gray wolves, they are protected under the Endangered Species Act. 

The hunter has not yet been charged for the illegal take of a gray wolf, but now that officials have discovered the true identification of the animal, an investigation is underway. It will be conducted by FWS with the help of CPW.