Wolverines could be the next endangered animal reintroduced in Colorado

Senator Perry Will, Senator Dylan Roberts, Representative Barbara McLachlan and Representative Tisha Mauro, introduced a bill (SB24-171) to reintroduce North American Wolverines to Colorado. This is great news for wolverines since there are only about 300 of these cute critters left in the lower 48 states. Because of the challenges they face, wolverines were just listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

Wolverines, members of the weasel family, live in alpine areas throughout Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. Historically, they also lived in the high country of the Colorado mountains but were killed off by humans by 1919. They survive by hunting small mammals like marmots and sometimes scavenging for food in the winter months. Individual wolverines have massive territories, ranging from 150 to 500 square miles in portions of their habitats in Yellowstone National Park.

Since they are threatened and have a population of less than 400 animals in the lower 48, wolverines could benefit significantly from the hundreds of square miles of habitable land in Colorado. If successful, reintroduction could expand their population by up to 150 animals. Wolverines require deep snow for most of the winter and spring months to maintain a den for their young — something that the high terrain of Colorado has an abundance of. As climate change continues to lower the percentage of land that remains snow-covered into late spring, the wolverine habitat is threatened. However, the reintroduction into Colorado would help with securing the species’ survival in the lower 48 states.

The reintroduction of wolverines in Colorado would be a significant step in protecting the species from the increased dangers of climate change and help secure the species’ population in the lower 48 United States for generations to come.