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Wolverines to be reintroduced in Colorado

CPW will work with federal land management agencies to determine the public lands where North American wolverines could be released in Colorado.

CLEAR CREEK COUNTY, Colo. — Colorado wildlife officials now have the authority to reintroduce wolverines to Colorado.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) signed a bill Monday that allows Colorado Parks and Wildlife to reintroduce the North American wolverine to Colorado.

"I am thrilled to welcome wolverines back to Colorado," Polis said at Monday's bill signing at Loveland Pass. "A diverse and healthy environment strengthens Colorado’s booming eco-tourism and outdoor recreation sectors. Today, we begin to add Wolverines to the list of animals reintroduced to Colorado, ensuring Colorado remains the best state in the nation for ecodiversity and outdoor enthusiasts."

Wolverines were listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act in November 2023 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) said as long as the wolverine remains on the list of threatened or endangered species pursuant, it will not reintroduce the species in Colorado.

CPW said the bill requires wolverines be listed as a "nonessential experimental population" before reintroduction occurs.

The bill also requires CPW to work with federal land management agencies with jurisdiction over federal public lands where wolverines could be released in Colorado.

Before the reintroduction effort occurs, CPW will also prepare a report on the North American wolverine in the state. 

CPW said that although conflicts between wolverines and livestock are "extremely rare," the bill includes a provision that the Parks and Wildlife Commission will adopt rules providing compensation to owners of livestock for losses of livestock caused by the wolverine.

"This legislation represents a significant commitment to restoring a native species back to Colorado’s landscape," said Colorado Department of Natural Resources Executive Director Dan Gibbs. "Colorado has some of the best remaining unoccupied habitat for wolverines and we have the opportunity to bolster the population significantly with a science-based restoration."

"Colorado’s high elevation habitats are expected to resist the effects of climate change as well or better than other parts of wolverine range, and play a critical role in the wolverine conservation story," CPW Director Jeff Davis said. "I want to thank the CPW staff and partners that set the groundwork for these efforts. CPW will continue to work together with partners across the state on wolverine restoration."

History of wolverines in Colorado

Wolverines are a native species to Colorado and their range once spanned down the Sierra Nevada in California and the Rocky Mountains to Colorado.

According to CPW, the species was eliminated in the early 1900s in Colorado due to "unregulated harvest and broad-scale carnivore poisoning."

Wolverines, which number in the thousands in Canada and Alaska, have reestablished populations in Washington, Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming, but have not returned to stay in Colorado. CPW said it is estimated that there are fewer than 400 wolverines in the contiguous United States.

CPW estimates that the state may have enough suitable terrain to support approximately 100-180 wolverines in Colorado.

The last wolverine confirmed in Colorado was in 2009: a male that traveled from the Tetons in Wyoming to central Colorado, then to North Dakota, where it was shot. Female wolverines stay closer to where they're born.

Adult wolverines typically weigh 15-40 lbs.

Wolverines are primarily scavengers and opportunistic feeders that eat a variety of foods available in their harsh alpine/subalpine environment, with a large proportion of their diet being scavenged carrion. They will also prey on small rodents, rabbits, porcupines, ground squirrels, marmots, birds and eggs, fish, and plants. Wolverines will occasionally eat deer.

The most significant stressor on wolverines in the coming years will be climate change, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

RELATED: Bill introduced to bring back wolverines to Colorado

Credit: Nazzu - stock.adobe.com

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