A federal court in Montana last week concluded that – surprise! – the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service illegally ended consideration of the wolverine for Endangered Species Act protection.  Colorado and the Southern Rockies were once home to wolverines before we trapped and shot them out altogether.  Periodically we hear reports about wolverine sightings but these are usually dismissed as escapees from captivity (apparently we’ve got some captive wolverine in the state).  Wolverines are one of the rarest wildlife species in the lower 48 states but only survive today in the northern Cascades of Washington and the Northern Rockies.

The court concluded that the Service illegally ignored scientific information showing “a dramatic loss in range, the tangible decrease in population with the commensurate threat of genetic isolation of subpopulations, and the threat posed by human encroachment on wolverines."  With the ongoing recovery of the lynx in the Southern Rocky Mountains, perhaps we might imagine someday beginning a wolverine recovery program as well.

Sinapu has a great photo up on their blog, by the way.