Conservation Northwest protects and connects old-growth forests and other wild areas from the Washington Coast to the British Columbia Rockies, vital to a healthy future for us, our children, and wildlife. Since 1989, Conservation Northwest has worke
Issue link: http://conservationnw.uberflip.com/i/171501
Homecoming for wildlife Bill Gaines Wildlife ecologist, Washington Conservation Science Institute North Cascades Wolverines Inside the large wooden box-trap was a snarling mass of hair and teeth. Each time we lifted the lid, even a little, she would growl and glare, and if we lingered too long, take a lunge for us. While one of the crew members distracted her attention on one end of the box, our crew leader adeptly crept around the back, and with a long stick that had a syringe on the end of it, gently poked her in the behind. That poke with a sedative put her to sleep for the 45 minutes we needed to examine her and attach her new jewelry, a shiny radio-collar. Keeping them connected Climate change and its associated effects on winter snow packs are expected to reduce the extent and connectivity of wolverine habitat in the North Cascades Ecosystem. We don't yet know how wolverines will respond to such habitat changes, but the best way to improve their chances of persisting in this region under a warming climate is to protect relatively large and well-connected areas of wolverine habitat, which will help wolverines interact with each other, maintain their social structure, and reproduce successfully. Continued research on their status and population dynamics in the North Cascades and the potential effects of human activities on their populations will be essential for identifying the most important areas to protect. —Keith Aubry, Research wildlife biologist, USFS Mysterious world The information this collar would transmit via satellite would provide insights into the mysterious world of the wolverine, as it struggles to survive in the vast wildness of the North Cascades Ecosystem. The wolverine is the largest member of the weasel family. It eats smaller animals, like squirrels and hares, which it has to travel long distances to find in the midst of winter. Like the Canada lynx, wolverines have relatively large feet that allow it to move across soft snow. Researchers in the North Cascades have discovered wolverine dens in high alpine cirques where they house their young kits during the later winter and spring under a deep snowpack. Radio-telemetry has shown us that their habitats are generally in the subalpine forest and alpine meadows that form the crest of North Cascades. Washington wolverine—Sasha. North Cascades Wolverine Study And they travel huge distances, no matter the time of year, emphasizing the important of large wild areas and connected habitats. Recent evidence from remote cameras has detected wolverines on the west side of Glacier Peak, and as far south as Mount Adams, suggesting they are expanding their range. How many wolverines live in the North Cascades remains a mystery. However, the growing number of sightings and detections indicates their numbers are rising, recovering at a slow rate from the days of fur trapping and persecution. Back on the move Gently we place our wolverine back into the large wooden box and lower the lid. She is beautiful, a deep dark brown with black fur around her face and paws, and that characteristic white-yellow band that wraps around her backside. Despite their larger-than-life reputation, she only weighs 17 pounds, on the light-side for an adult female wolverine. Her entire body length, including her tail, is only slightly longer than my arm. Once safely in the box we leave the lid open and then gather our gear and move away to give her some space and peace. It is dark now, and winter has come on with a fury as large snowflakes spiral and dance in the light of my headlamp. We wait until her radio signal indicates that she is out and moving then begin our 20-plus mile snowmobile ride back home. A few days later I get an email from our team leader. Our wolverine friend has been on the move. Three days after we put on her radio-collar she traveled due north over 50 miles, across some of the most remote and rugged terrain in the US and in the heart of a Washington winter! What else will these amazing animals teach us? How will they adapt to the warming climate and shrinking snowpack? Our brief insight into their lives is important for our future and theirs. conservationnw.org