Wolverines are opportunistic predators and scavengers with extraordinary strength for their size — their prey ecology has welfare implications for their own welfare through prey availability and competition with other carnivores.
Wolverine welfare is tied to prey and carrion availability — animals with insufficient food access lose body condition, have reduced reproductive success, and are more likely to take risks (approaching human settlements, livestock) that lead to their death. The removal of wolves from wolverine habitat through hunting reduces carrion availability that wolverines depend on, particularly in winter when hunting success is most challenging. This creates an indirect welfare impact from apex predator removal that cascades to wolverine welfare. Deep snow winters that favor wolverine hunting are becoming less reliable as climate change warms mountain environments. Food security for individual wolverines — measured through body condition indices from GPS-collared individuals — is an important welfare metric in long-term monitoring programs.