Old forest denizens

Wolverine (Gulo gulo) are old forest denizens in Washington State that Conservation Northwest has worked to protect. We've even “captured" this elusive animal on film through our Rare Carnivore Remote Camera Project, which volunteers operate every summer. Wolverine were once nearly extirpated from our state, but over the last ten years there have been several confirmed sightings: in the mountains above the Methow Valley, in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, and in areas above Leavenworth.

About wolverine

Seen as a threat to livestock and highly valued for their fur, by the early 1900s wolverines were extirpated from most of their historical range. Recently they have been found only in Washington, Montana, Oregon, and Idaho. They are classified as a “sensitive species” by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, but can still be legally trapped in Montana.

Wolverines are extremely elusive and have expansive home ranges, making them difficult to research. Shy around humans or human activity, they are very slow to reproduce. These challenges have led to much debate and controversy on the current numbers of wolverines, yet it is estimated that fewer than 1,000 remain in the lower United States. Intelligent, they have also been known to outwit biologists, as was most recently proven by Melanie, a young female captured in February 2006 who later slipped her radio collar.

• The largest land-based animal of the weasel family, the wolverine weighs 25 to 40 pounds.
• Wolverines have thick, soft brown fur with a light stripe that travels along each side from the shoulders to the base of the tail.
• Wolverines are predominantly carnivores and scavengers but will eat a wide variety of foods from berries to elk. They are known to be ferocious and powerful, capable of preying on animals five times their own body weight.
• Wolverines are solitary, except during mating season, which occurs once every two years between the months of May and August.

Fighting for protection

In 2000, conservation groups, including Conservation Northwest, petitioned the federal government to protect the wolverine under the Endangered Species Act. After the petition was denied, we filed a lawsuit in federal court to overturn the government’s decision to consider new legal protections for this rare animal. In September 2006 the U.S. District Court for Montana made a ruling requiring the Fish and Wildlife Service to conduct a full status review of the wolverine and issue a final determination of whether the species should be listed as threatened or endangered. In February 2008 the agency refused again to list the wolverine.

Like the wolverine, we’re also wily, and not willing to give up in the fight to protect this magnificent and important forest mammal.