Posted on 01/15/2021 9:34:17 PM PST by nickcarraway
An animal not often seen around Yellowstone National Park was captured on film in a trail cam video last month, officials say. Video of the Yellowstone wolverine is very exciting for park biologists, who say this is the first video footage of the species since remote cameras have been deployed in the park.
In a Facebook post, Yellowstone park officials said one of the ecosystem’s most elusive mammals triggered a remote trail camera outside the Mammoth Hot Springs area last month – the Browning trail camera footage shows the video was recorded on December 4, 2020 at 7:41 A.M.
Pretty awesome, right? Being from Michigan – and the college basketball fan that I am – I have to say this is easily my favorite thing I’ve seen all week. Go Blue!
“Wolverines (Gulo gulo), mid-sized carnivores in the weasel family that typically occupy high-elevation alpine and forest habitats, exist in low densities in the park and are rarely detected,” Yellowstone officials wrote in the Facebook post.
Climate-change models predict that by 2050, the spring snowpack needed for wolverine denning and hunting will be limited to portions of the southern Rocky Mountains, the Sierra Nevada range, and greater Yellowstone, of which only the latter currently has a population.
Since 2006-2009, there has only been seven documented wolverines living in eastern Yellowstone and adjoining national forests, according to the National Park Service.
Despite rarely being seen, wolverines are actually active year round. Except for when they are breeding, wolverines prefer to live a solitary life (who could blame them these days!). Their breeding period takes place between April and October where females will have a litter of 2-4 cubs (or kits). Females give birth in dens excavated in deep snow, under log jams, or uprooted trees in avalanche chutes.
In August 2014, the US Fish and Wildlife Service withdrew a proposal to list wolverines living in the lower 48 states as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.
Due to uncertainty of the effects of climate change on wolverines and their habitat in the foreseeable future, plans to list the species are on hold.
Yes, wolverines get such a bad rap but they’re really just misunderstood. I don’t know of a single person that has ever been mauled by a wolverine. I’ve never been attacked by one so they must not be as deadly as everyone says.
Don’t forget BADGERS
I really think Kamel needs a pet, as VP.
BO got a dog. Joe has some dog to trip over. They all make a big deal about getting a pet.
Yes, that would make for some fantastic photo opportunities. Kamala and her pet wolverine roughhousing in the rose garden. I can totally picture it in my mind.
I read that even grizzly bear won’t mess with a badger
It’s also a lie that grizzly bears are dangerous. I’ve never been attacked by a grizzly bear, have you? I don’t know one single person that has ever been attacked by a grizzly bear in fact.
You trying to thin the heard via Darwin? Okay, it’ll only get the city folk.
I ran into one of these nasty little bastards once while backpacking in the Northern Cascades. He circled me while growling and baring his teeth. After a bit, he sprayed and took off. Left behind a stink to remember him by.
Kamala and her pet wolverine roughhousing in the rose garden. I can totally picture it in my mind.
= = =
As you picture in your mind,
Kamal starts ‘roughhousing’ with that wolverine . . .
He does not know how experienced she is (Willie Brown).
Poor Wolverine.
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