Wolverine populations have contracted significantly from their historical range, with remaining populations increasingly isolated, creating welfare and conservation challenges.
Range contraction and population isolation creates welfare challenges for wolverines through genetic impoverishment of isolated populations and the welfare risks faced by dispersing individuals attempting to cross human-dominated landscapes. Wolverines attempting long-distance dispersal through agricultural areas and developed landscapes face elevated mortality from vehicle collisions and human conflict. The physiological consequences of inbreeding include reduced immune function and reproductive success, compromising individual welfare in small isolated populations. Connectivity restoration through wildlife crossings and corridor protection enables natural dispersal that maintains genetic diversity and allows animals to move between suitable habitats. Protection of the full wolverine range in Canada and Alaska provides the population reservoir from which US populations can be maintained.