Big fighting spirit comes in little packages!

What’s a wolverine?

It’s a skunk bear, a carcajou, a nasty cat – the wolverine goes by many names, because it’s iconic to many people! Wolverines have thick, dark fur that’s highly resistant to frost, and they often have a lighter stripe that goes all the way to their long bushy tails.

If you watch a wolverine walk, you’ll see that they walk flat on the soles of their feet, like bears. And they do a lot of walking – wolverines can establish a territory as large as 200 square miles or more.

Where can they be found?

Wolverines can be found all around the northern reaches of the globe. In North America, they mostly live in Alaska and Canada, and they once ranged as far south as New Mexico before trappers almost wiped them out in the lower 48. The good news is that in recent years, wolverines have been making a slow return to some places they haven’t been seen for decades.

So what’s happening now?

In 2023 wolverines were finally listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Defenders advocated and fought in court for over two decades to see wolverines protected. Work is also underway to bring them back to their historic home in the mountains of Colorado!

How can I help?

Wolverines are showing their fierce fighting spirit by making a slow comeback. Now it’s up to us to give them a chance to thrive. You can help by avoiding closed areas in wolverine habitat during winter recreation, supporting laws to protect imperiled wildlife, and pushing for real action from our leaders to fight the climate crisis.