Maybe you have or maybe you haven’t heard about wolverines. And if you have, chances are you’ve heard myths, skewed facts, or outright tall tales about the species.

Wolverines are overgrown weasels with the title of the largest land-trouting member of the mustelid family. Wolverines are found in boreal forests, subarctic tundra, and western North American mountains across the Northern Hemisphere. On average, wolverines weigh between 20 to 40 pounds with males being slightly bigger than females. But don’t let their weight fool you – what wolverines lack in size, they make up for in tenacity, confidence, and a lack of fear rarely seen in the animal kingdom. These lightweights aren’t afraid to go toe-to-toe with grizzly bears, wolves, and cougars – predators remarkably bigger than themselves – and either steal their kill or take carrion left behind from the local heavyweight.

This underdog has been left out of the spotlight for most of its existence, but conservationists are slowly getting the message out about wolverines. These dog-sized weasels are under threat and need our help. Today’s guest, Douglas Chadwick, is one of those conservationists raising his voice for wolverines, and you will walk away from this conversation with a new appreciation for wolverines and our northern ecosystems.

Throughout this episode, you’ll hear me pop in at various moments to share excerpts from The Wolverine Way and provide additional information about these incredible creatures.

Alright, let’s lace up our snow boots and go on a backcountry adventure to study wolverines with Doug.

Episode Excerpts

“So, fast forwarding to the present, what is the status of wolverines across its massive, multi-continental home range? In 2019, Fisher et al. published a fantastic paper called ‘Wolverines (Gulo gulo) in a changing landscape and warming climate: A decadal synthesis of global conservation ecology research‘. The questions they asked are the same questions I wanted answered, which were, “what are the known drivers of wolverine populations and distribution, is there consensus on mechanisms for populations dynamics, and how can this knowledge inform wolverine conservation?”

Fisher and colleagues’ research reveals a complex picture of wolverine conservation across their range. In North America, wolverines face challenges from climate change, landscape development, and human activity. Mountain populations are particularly vulnerable due to fragmented habitats and reducing snowpack. In the contiguous United States, wolverines have only recently recolonized after being extirpated in the early 20th century.

In Europe, the situation varies. Fennoscandian wolverines span about 247,500 square kilometers in two populations. Sweden has seen some recovery due to conservation programs, but this is complicated by exploitation in neighboring Norway, creating a source-sink dynamic. Finland hosts a separate, isolated population.

Asian wolverine populations are less studied, but the outlook appears grim. In China, wolverines are endangered, with only an estimated 200 individuals in the Great Khingan Mountains. They’ve disappeared entirely from some areas like the Altai Mountains.

The research highlights several key threats: habitat loss and fragmentation, climate change reducing spring snow cover, industrial disturbance, and in some areas, overexploitation. Transportation barriers are a particular concern, as they can genetically isolate populations.

Conservation efforts have had mixed results. Sweden’s predator compensation program has aided recovery, but similar success hasn’t been seen elsewhere. Captive breeding programs have had limited success, while translocations show more promise but require viable source populations.

The researchers emphasize that wolverines face different challenges in mountain, boreal, and arctic populations. They stress the need for more research, particularly in understudied regions like Russia and Mongolia, to inform effective conservation strategies.”

Episode Transcript

Disclaimer: Transcripts are AI-generated, unedited, and may contain errors.