They are seldom seen and considered “at risk” in Alberta, but a new study on wolverines suggests the development of roads and recreation in the mountains is pushing populations to the brink. The University of Calgary’s unique study found rapid development in the Rocky Mountains and Columbia Mountains is directly linked to a lower population density of the carnivore. “We wanted to figure out how the population is doing and what kind of impacts there are,” said Mirjam Barrueto, PhD, the lead author on the study, in a news release. “We found there were very few wolverines in the Upper Columbia region in southeastern British Columbia.” The paper examined 81,800 square kilometres in western Alberta and eastern B.C., and found only 300 wolverines live there. It suggested that if current recreation and road levels were scaled back in that area, those populations could be 30 per cent higher. The research, published in the journal Biological Conservation, makes five recommendations to help increase those numbers. They include maintaining roadless and low-road density areas, protecting low-disturbance, high-quality wolverine habitat and limiting recreation in areas known to be wolverine breeding grounds. According to government research, wolverines were widespread in Alberta prior to the turn of the century, but trapping and increased settlement reduced that range. “In general, the current range of wolverines in Alberta corresponds with areas that have relatively low levels of human development,” the data reads. Parks Canada says wolverines, which are the largest members of the weasel family, were once thought to exclusively feed on carrion, but are now understood to be “accomplished predators.” “They will kill caribou, an animal several times their size. In summer, marmots and small mammals are the usual prey. In winter, most of their diet consists of large mammals such as mountain goats, moose and caribou that were previously killed by wolves or avalanches,” officials said. Males grow to an average of 18 kilograms (40 pounds) while females are up to 12 kilograms (26 pounds).
