Colorado wildlife officials released 15 wolves from Canada into the central mountains over the last week as part of the second wave of the state’s historic, voter-mandated reintroduction of the native predator.

The wolves were darted and immobilized in Oregon by expert marksmen and biologists working from a helicopter. They were netted and then brought onto small planes and eventually transported to vehicles,

It’s extremely quiet. Only the slight shifting of boots in the snow, rustling of jackets and the occasional plane humming overhead breaks through the silence. The night is cold, still and dark. The moon