Global Courant 2023-04-18 03:30:54
Famously fierce and elusive, wolverines are a rare sight in the Canadian wilderness, even for researchers. As such, it’s almost unbelievable to see one in a city the size of Calgary.
Yet that happened on Saturday in the southern suburbs of the city. Two wildlife photographers captured images of the lone carnivore as it darted through frozen wetlands.
“It caused quite a bit of noise,” says Gordon Cooke, one of the photographers. “I had no idea what it was until it broke out in the open and I got some pictures of it.”
A few of his photos captured the wolverine perched on a log looking out over the wetlands. The photos are clear enough to see the fur on his back clumped and wet.
For Cooke, who has been a wildlife photographer for 11 years, capturing such an elusive creature was the pinnacle of his career.
“This is the ultimate,” he said. “Not just for me, this is actually the ultimate for most wildlife photographers.”
Photographer Gordon Cooke said he had to quickly adjust his camera to capture the wolverine as it ran through the frozen wetlands. (Gordon Cooke)
Chris Fisher, an Alberta naturalist, described wolverines as icons of the northern forests and mountains. Lonely and ferocious, they have been seen fighting larger predators such as bears, wolves, and cougars.
“It’s a wilderness superhero,” Fisher said Monday at the Calgary Eyeopener. “Frankly, you don’t see them anywhere, let alone in a major metropolis like Calgary.”
He said an individual wolverine will move out of the mountains into more populated areas once every few years. In the past ten years, they have been seen near Airdrie and Medicine Hat.
LISTEN | Naturalist Chris Fisher talks to CBC Calgary’s Loren McGinnis:
Calgary eye opener7:34Calgary glutton
We tell you about a rare wildlife sighting in Calgary over the weekend.
Fisher suspects the wolverine seen over the weekend has recently been separated from its mother as she has new kittens to care for this spring.
He hopes the animal will have fewer human encounters in the future.
“I think the best hope for all is that (the wolverine) shuns humans and sets its wilderness compass to wild areas of Alberta and lives a life without ever being photographed again,” Fisher said.
Wolverines live solitary lives over large expanses.
Recent research suggests that their numbers in and around national parks along the Alberta-BC border are declining due to a combination of increased human recreation, traps and climate change.
Snow is believed to be an important factor in wolverine habitat. A decrease in mountain and boreal snow cover could limit female wolverines’ ability to find dens to raise their young.
