Wolverine Research Featured on CBC Quirks & Quarks

How do roads and outdoor recreation affect wolverine populations?

Our recently published research shows that human activities, particularly roads and outdoor recreation, are associated with lower wolverine densities in the Canadian Rockies and Columbia Mountains. Female wolverines appear to be especially sensitive to these disturbances.

Using remote cameras and genetic sampling across 81,800 km² of western Canada, we estimated that wolverine densities could be up to 30% higher in the absence of current recreation levels and road densities.

The findings highlight that human disturbance can affect not only where wolverines occur, but also how many live in a landscape.

Listen to our CBC Quirks & Quarks interview to learn more about the research and what it means for wolverine conservation.