M57

On February 16th, 2010, a male wolverine climbed into a log box trap in the Absaroka Range of Montana and the trap’s transmitter alerted the field crew to the news that they’d caught their target. In partnership with the Gallatin National Forest, NRCC has maintained a live-trapping operation in the Absarokas to keep track of two research animals in the region, and attempt to find other animals that may be present but not monitored. A distinctive wolverine with a white sock on his left leg, M57 was accidentally captured in a bobcat trap outside of Menan, Idaho, a year ago, and was released into more suitable habitat in Montana. During this year’s capture, M57 was fitted with a new collar and checked over for injuries. He weighed 12.4 kg, on the small side for a male wolverine, and had lost two toes since his release in Montana, but was otherwise healthy and remarkably calm - for a wolverine. He was released at around midnight and trotted off into the night with barely a backward glance.

Mongolia

NRCC Project Manager Rebecca Watters will return to Mongolia this summer to track down Mongolia’s wolverine population, and to record stories and traditions of human-wildlife relations in the land of Chingis Khan. Mongolia’s wolverine population remains unstudied, and Rebecca, who lived in Mongolia from 2000-2002 and speaks Mongolian, will coordinate a team of Mongolian and American wildlife researchers to explore the status of the wolverine in this remote country. Rebecca spent summer of 2009 in Mongolia compiling all known reports of wolverine sightings throughout the country, and monitoring the fur trade through the capital. During summer of 2010, she will travel to areas with reported sightings and interview herders, hunters, and park rangers, as well as conducting basic field surveys. An infrastructure-heavy collaring operation probably won’t be possible in Mongolia, but over the long term, Rebecca and NRCC hope to develop a genetics-based protocol for monitoring the population.

the wolverine in the news

Have you seen a wolverine? Please report it to us!

Calling all high-altitude recreationalists to help us track one wily high-altitude carnivore! With funding from the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole, NRCC is launching a citizen-science effort in partnership with Nature Mapping to track and monitor the elusive wolverine. NRCC has designed handy pocket-sized laminated track ID card to help skiers, snowshoers, snowmobilers, and all others traveling in the high country this winter clearly identify a wolverine track.

2010 may be a big year for wolverines, their researchers, and their fans. With wolverine sightings confirmed in Colorado and California, a regional consensus about the importance of wolverine research is growing. A PBS documentary by Gianna Savoie and a book about wolverines by National Geographic writer Doug Chadwick will be released this year. And with a new listing decision due in December, based in part on a review of research with which NRCC has been involved since 2000, the profile of the wolverine is steadily increasing. We see this as an important opportunity to build a constituency for conservation of a charismatic carnivore without invoking narratives of conflict that have characterized wolf and bear conservation.

Over the past month, NRCC has given two presentations in Jackson, with a total of 95 enthusiastic attendees whose questions and stories of their own wolverine sightings kept the conversation going well past the appointed presentation times. In mid-April, NRCC will lead a community traverse of the Tetons in search of wolverine tracks, and on April 29th, Gianna Savoie and Doug Chadwick will join us at the National Museum of Wildlife Art for a preview of the PBS Nature wolverine film and a discussion of wolverine science and conservation. All events are free and open to the public.

The track ID card will be distributed at locations throughout Jackson, including outdoor shops and the NRCC office, and is also available for download. We are working with Nature Mapping of Jackson Hole to create a specialized reporting website to collect sightings from throughout the West. If you think you’ve seen a wolverine or a wolverine track, or are interested in participating in the traverse, please contact us!