Wolverines are rare, wide-ranging carnivores whose survival depends on large areas of undisturbed snowpack habitat that is increasingly threatened by climate warming and human encroachment.
Wolverine cubs that lose snow cover before they are old enough to survive independently die from exposure and starvation. Adult wolverines that must travel through fragmented landscapes to find mates and food face increased exposure to roads, snares, and human conflict. Wolverines trapped for fur in leghold traps experience prolonged pain and stress before being killed. The remoteness of wolverine habitat has historically protected them from human disturbance, but climate-driven snowpack loss is eliminating this buffer by reducing suitable denning habitat even in protected wilderness. Conservation programs that maintain large wilderness areas, reduce trapping pressure, and monitor population connectivity protect both individual wolverine welfare and population viability.