Wolverines on the rebound in Washington By Seattle Times, adapted by Newsela staff May. 05, :47 PM

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1 Wolverines on the rebound in Washington By Seattle Times, adapted by Newsela staff May. 05, :47 PM A rare wolverine in winter setting, sitting beside a tree stump. LEAVENWORTH, Wash. Biologist Don Youkey reached overhead to a log nailed to a tree nearly five feet above the ground. He hung a cow knucklebone and chunk of raw rib meat over the log. He hopes the tasty bait will lure the newest carnivore cruising these snowy woods: the wolverine. He is not hunting it. He just wants to snap its photo. Comeback Kid Wolverines were once shot on sight, trapped and poisoned as pests. They were gone from Washington by the 1930s. But they are making a comeback, repopulating parts of their historic home range for the first time in decades. On Friday, they were proposed for listing as a threatened species. Wolverines used to range along the Cascade Crest from the Canadian border all the way to Mount Rainier. Today, they remain very rare, with perhaps just 25 animals in Washington. There are only about 250 to 300 in the United States, excluding Alaska. The wolverine s return to Washington is amazing scientists. We are witnessing what we think is the expansion of wolverines into their former range, said Keith Aubry, wildlife biologist with the 1

2 U.S. Forest Service. Aubry led the first-ever radio-tracking study of wolverines in Washington. Crossing The Border Genetic testing shows the animals they are finding can be traced to populations in Canada that recolonized here once the persecution stopped. Now, those animals, once just visitors, have established resident populations, and they are spreading. We have growing evidence of them using larger and larger areas over time, Aubry said. When you see a species like wolverine that needs openness and connected habitat coming here all on its own, this is the celebration moment. It s the success, the reward, said Jen Watkins of Conservation Northwest. Looming Threats Even as wolverines rebound, threats loom in their future. Over the next 100 years, climate change is expected to melt 63 percent of the landscapes where deep snow persists into May. Wolverines need such snow conditions to survive. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Friday proposed listing wolverines for protection in at least six Western states. Smaller than a Labrador retriever, the wolverine is pound for pound among the most ferocious carnivores in Washington. It is capable of sniffing out frozen carcasses. It can tunnel through five feet of snow to crack open bones and tear apart even frozen meat. Their powerful jaws and molars are specially adapted to shear off chunks of rock-hard flesh and bone. Animal Superheroes Wolverines roam Washington s wildest country in its most punishing weather. They devour miles cruising over deep powdery snow with oversized, snowshoe-like feet. Their long, thick, brown-and-gold coats shed frost. Underneath is a soft insulating layer of fur that defeats the most brutal cold. Semi-retractable claws enable the mammals to climb trees and scramble up and down rocky slopes. They are the superheroes of the animal world, said Shawn Sartorius, a wildlife biologist for the Fish and Wildlife Service. When you follow the tracks of these things, you see they are not taking the easy way around; they will go straight over mountaintops, craggy peaks, the rockiest, steepest, cliffiest place; they will go right over that in the middle of winter, at night. 2

3 Roaming Far And Wide John Rohrer, wildlife biologist with the Forest Service, has been astounded to learn in his work on Aubry s research team just how much territory the wolverines cover, even in winter. The North Cascades in winter are pretty hostile to life, Rohrer said. Most animals will avoid it in winter or hibernate. In summer there are cougar and black bear and bobcat and coyotes and great horned owls. In wintertime, it is only the wolverines. And wolverines are ferocious. When you see one in a live trap you never forget it, Rohrer said. They are growling, trying to bluff you, they are not cowering in the corner. If you crack open the lid they are charging and coming up to the front, snapping their jaws and drooling. They put on quite a show. Food Wanted, Dead Or Alive But hikers have nothing to worry about: Wolverines are primarily carnivorous scavengers. They feast on a wide variety of foods, including dead animals of every type, usually elk and deer. But they will also take live small mammals, including pikas, marmots, ground squirrels, porcupines and snowshoe hares. They will sometimes devour bugs, berries, eggs and roots. For now, ensuring wolverine survival is about planning for the future, Watkins said. Wolverines need safe access to the strongholds they are returning to now. Highway 2, for instance, is a travel corridor wolverines will need to cross if they are to make it as far south as Mount Rainier. For these animals to come back to these places on their own, and take up residence there again, sticking around, and calling it home, Watkins said, that is thrilling. 3

4 Quiz 4

5 1. How does the author introduce the wolverine in the section of the article titled The Comeback Kid? (a) by stating facts (b) with an opinion (c) by telling a story (d) with a comparison 2. What is the general tone of this article? (a) serious (b) playful (c) angry (d) sad 3. Which sentence from the article provides the MOST evidence of the biologist s claim that wolverines are the superheroes of the animal world? (a) Most animals will avoid it in winter or hibernate. In summer, there are cougar and black bear and bobcat and coyotes and great horned owls. In winter time, it is only the wolverines. (b) And wolverines are ferocious. When you see one in a live trap you never forget it, Rohrer said. They are growling, trying to bluff you, they are not cowering in the corner. (c) If you crack open the lid they are charging and coming up to the front, snapping their jaws and drooling. They put on quite a show. (d) But hikers have nothing to worry about: Wolverines are primarily carnivorous scavengers.they feast on a wide variety of foods, including dead animals of every type, usually elk and deer. 4. How does the author show the reader that there is a chance that wolverines may become endangered? (a) states several facts about possible threats to wolverines (b) compares wolverines to other animals in the region (c) states evidence about the wolverine s strengths (d) describes ways humans killed wolverines 5. The author includes the final section of the article to: (a) convince the reader that the wolverine is an amazing animal (b) educate the reader on the tasks that lie 5 ahead to protect wolverines

6 Answer Key 6

7 1. How does the author introduce the wolverine in the section of the article titled The Comeback Kid? (a) by stating facts (b) with an opinion (c) by telling a story (d) with a comparison 2. What is the general tone of this article? (a) serious (b) playful (c) angry (d) sad 3. Which sentence from the article provides the MOST evidence of the biologist s claim that wolverines are the superheroes of the animal world? (a) Most animals will avoid it in winter or hibernate. In summer, there are cougar and black bear and bobcat and coyotes and great horned owls. In winter time, it is only the wolverines. (b) And wolverines are ferocious. When you see one in a live trap you never forget it, Rohrer said. They are growling, trying to bluff you, they are not cowering in the corner. (c) If you crack open the lid they are charging and coming up to the front, snapping their jaws and drooling. They put on quite a show. (d) But hikers have nothing to worry about: Wolverines are primarily carnivorous scavengers.they feast on a wide variety of foods, including dead animals of every type, usually elk and deer. 4. How does the author show the reader that there is a chance that wolverines may become endangered? (a) states several facts about possible threats to wolverines (b) compares wolverines to other animals in the region (c) states evidence about the wolverine s strengths (d) describes ways humans killed wolverines 5. The author includes the final section of the article to: (a) convince the reader that the wolverine is an amazing animal (b) educate the reader on the tasks that 7 lie ahead to protect wolverines