Wolverines could be poised for a comeback in California.
A new bill seeks to reintroduce the solitary, muscular carnivores to the state’s mountainous regions, where they were hunted, poisoned and trapped into oblivion more than 100 years ago.
Wolverines are exceedingly rare in the lower 48 states and received federal protection under the Endangered Species Act in November. California’s conservation efforts date back to the early 1970s, when wolverines were designated as a fully protected species under the state Fish and Game Code and listed as threatened under the state Endangered Species Act.
Several sightings of an elusive wolverine in May in California’s High Sierra sparked a flurry of excitement. It was reportedly the second spotted in the Golden State in a century.
“While wolverines are solitary and live at higher elevations, California is part of their natural home territory, and seeing them here shouldn’t be that rare and won’t be in the future if we manage reintroduction carefully,” said Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Glendale), who introduced the California legislation.
Friedman, a front-runner for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, called the bill, AB 2722, “an important first step to making that future a reality.”
The Center for Biological Diversity sponsored the bill.
Wolverines resemble diminutive bears but are the largest member of the weasel family, weighing up to 40 pounds. They possess powerful jaws capable of taking down predators far larger than themselves. Snowshoe-like feet allow them to cruise over deep powder, and they’re known to traverse large distances. They’re renowned loners, with males occupying territories of up to 500 square miles.
“They’re like the patron animal of mountaineers, skiers and introverts,” said Rebecca Watters, executive director of the Wolverine Foundation. “They like hanging out by themselves, and they run around in the mountains all the time.”
No one has tried to bring the animal back to areas from which it vanished, but two states are exploring the possibility. Less than three weeks after California’s bill was introduced in mid-February, Colorado lawmakers proposed legislation to reintroduce wolverines.
Proponents in both states have said there is plenty of habitat to accommodate the animals, which naturally live in low density in snowy, high-elevation areas. But some researchers would prefer to see the species propagate naturally, expressing concern that wolverines will die during the reintroduction process, while there’s no guarantee of success.
If AB 2722 passes, it won’t immediately trigger an effort to bring the animals back. Instead, it would provide policymakers with data that could inform a future effort.
