Why Hitting Pause on Colorado's Wolf Reintroduction is a Terrible Idea - Just Ask Ross and Rachel

By Paige Haderlie

If Friends taught us anything besides how six people afford massive apartments in New York City, it's this: some relationships should stay in the past. Case in point? Ross and Rachel. Their on-again, off-again saga was exhausting, messy, and—let’s be honest—never really worked.

It’s the same with Colorado’s wolf reintroduction. We’re not just on a “break” with this misguided program—we need a full-on breakup. No looking back. No “maybe someday.” Just a clean, honest, reality-based goodbye.

You Can’t Recreate the Past

Bringing wolves back to Colorado is often romanticized as a return to some wild, balanced, pre-settlement ecosystem. But much like trying to rekindle a college romance twenty years later, it’s nostalgia, not practicality.

The landscape has changed. People live where wolves used to roam. Ranching, recreation, and rural economies now define these areas. Trying to “reintroduce” apex predators into this new reality is like Ross trying to date Rachel again after everything had changed. It doesn't work—not because the intentions aren’t good, but because the context is gone.

Just like Rachel imagined domestic bliss with Ross before he blacked out and slept with the copy girl, a lot of people imagined wolves peacefully frolicking through aspen groves while elk applauded and ranchers snapped photos.

What we got instead? Livestock kills, lawsuits, angry town halls, and a level of rural anxiety not seen since someone suggested moving the DMV to online-only appointments.

Wolves had their time in Colorado. That time is over.

And this is only the beginning. Colorado is not Yellowstone. Our landscapes are more fragmented, our populations more spread out, and our economy more dependent on livestock and agriculture.

Just like Ross and Rachel’s reunion created more drama than joy, the wolf program is proving more destructive than restorative.

The Public Was Split to Begin With

Yes, Proposition 114 passed—but by a razor-thin margin (50.9% to 49.1%). That’s not a mandate. That’s a divided state. And the truth is, most of the support came from urban voters who will never live with the consequences.

Imagine if all of Rachel’s friends had voted for her to get back together with Ross—but they didn’t have to date him. That’s what rural Coloradans are facing. A decision imposed on them by people who won’t bear the risk, the cost, or the burden.

That’s not democratic progress. That’s romanticized policymaking.

Breaking Up Is the Mature Thing to Do

Sometimes the healthiest thing you can do—for both parties—is to walk away.

We’ve given this reintroduction a shot. And like Ross and Rachel’s countless attempts, it’s only getting messier.

Stop the Pause—End the Program

Pausing wolf reintroduction would only prolong the tension. It’s like that one Friend who keeps saying, “We were on a break!”

Let’s be adults about it. Let’s recognize that going back to an old relationship—no matter how well it looks in 90’s sitcom reruns—rarely works in real life.

We’re not “on a break.” We’re not “figuring it out.” We need to break up, block their number, and return the mix tape and toothbrush. To quote Taylor Swift, “We are never, ever, ever getting back together.”