Colorado Governor Polis Extends Welcome to the Skunk Bear

Wolverines will likely soon find a home in Colorado – again – as policymakers in the state sort out exactly how they will reintroduce these rare mammals. Much depends on whether the US Fish and Wildlife Service determines that the species will be protected under the Endangered Species Act, a decision it is expected to make in the coming months.

The wolverine goes by many names: mountain devil, skunk bear, nasty cat. Even its Latin name – Gulo gulo – sounds more like a nickname than a scientific designation. (It means “glutton,” times two.)

The creature, which once thrived from the Rockies to the Sierra Nevada mountains, looks like a small bear with a bushy tail. Males grow to 25 to 40 pounds, females somewhat smaller. The beast is known for its ferocity and strength (and gluttony), and it sports potent anal scent glands used for sexual signaling and marking territory (see “skunk bear” and “nasty cat”).

Colorado has been considering reintroducing wolverines for some time, and to that end the stinky beast has a powerful friend in Governor Jared Polis. “The governor continues to join so many Coloradans who share his enthusiasm for reintroducing the native wolverine, last spotted in 2009 in our state, to better restore ecological balance in wild Colorado areas,” spokesman Conor Cahill said in a statement.

There are thousands of wolverines in Alaska and Canada, but only about 300 in the lower 48, with most of those in Montana. The animal has found limited purchase in Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, and Oregon, but has not returned to Colorado beyond the rare occasional sighting. Biologists say Colorado’s high snowy mountains are ideal habitat, as it once was, because the animal needs a snowpack to make its dens.

The state is ready to unfurl the welcome mat, but it’s waiting for the USFWS decision, which will make a final determination by the end of November. If the species is listed as threatened, state lawmakers will have to pass a bill to allow reintroduction of wolverines, and will also have to coordinate with federal officials on the reintroduction process. Ironically, if wolverines are not listed as threatened, Colorado Parks and Wildlife can go ahead and bring back the nasty cat without further delay.

Photo credit: Frederick Florin / AFP via Getty Images