Gulo gulo time

Move over wolves and lynx – you may soon have a new neighbor. On March 4, state legislators, including our own Rep. Barbara McLachlan, D-Durango, took the first step toward reintroducing the North American wolverine to Colorado. Senate Bill 24-171 is set to kickstart the animal’s reintroduction following its listing as a threatened species in late 2023.

In Colorado, legislative action is required before Colorado Parks and Wildlife can begin reintroduction of any threatened or endangered species. The bipartisan bill would start the process, allocating $750,000 for the reintroduction effort. However, before reintroductions can take place, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must first pass a Section 10(j) rule, declaring reintroduced Colorado wolverines as a non-essential experimental population.

For those unfamiliar with the largest member of the weasel family (species name gulo gulo), it is described, using your best “Honey Badger” voice, as a tenacious scavenger that thrives in a harsh world of snow and ice. With a solitary nature and a strong survival instinct, the wolverine is an icon of arctic, boreal and alpine environments. With short, rounded ears, a broad head and stocky body, wolverines are sometimes compared to a skunk-badger-bear combo. Or a furrier, nongreen Shreck.

Unfortunately, wolverines are defenseless against climate change and loss of snowpack (or the state’s sky-high housing prices, but we digress.) “That’s why it’s so important that Colorado moves forward with returning these animals to the high mountains, where we can help give them a fighting chance,” Michael Saul, of Defenders of Wildlife, said. 

Following eradication from much of the Lower 48 through trapping and poisoning in the 20th century, it’s estimated there are fewer than 325 wolverines remaining. They face threats from habitat fragmentation, increased human presence and the loss of snowpack. Wolverines rely on hard-packed snow in the winter to store food and dig dens for raising young. 

Colorado wildlife officials considered restoring the wolverine, along with Canada lynx, in the 1990s. However, due to complexities, the wolverine plans were shelved in favor of the lynx (probably because the lynx is a lot cuter). After lynx restoration was deemed a success, CPW returned to the wolverine in 2010, but that was halted because of uncertainty surrounding the federal listing.

Of course, all this begs the question: is there a South American wolverine?