Wolverines are wide-ranging carnivores of boreal and alpine habitats. Climate change and trapping pose the greatest threats to their welfare and survival.
Wild wolverine welfare is threatened by climate-driven loss of snowpack needed for denning, habitat fragmentation that prevents natural dispersal, and steel-jawed leg-hold traps that cause pain and injury before death. Snare and trap injuries include limb damage, exhaustion, and prolonged suffering before the trapper arrives. Conservation efforts focus on protected area expansion, trap-free zones, and climate policy to preserve mountain snowpack.