Wolverine

Gulo gulo

Wolverine. Photo:Mont St-Hilaire Nature Center

This large member of the weasel family is about the size of a bear cub. The wolverine is often described as a tenacious and bold animal, said to defend its food from wolves and even grizzly bears. Primarily a scavenger, the wolverine follows caribou herds through their migration and devours the remains left by bears and wolves, even crushing the discarded bones and tearing sinews. The wolverine supplements its diet with a variety of roots and berries, birds' eggs, fish, and sometimes even killing moose, caribou and mountain goats. Although the wolverine was once found in the boreal forest, that population has shrunk, and the most dense concentration of wolverines is on the tundra between the treeline and the arctic coasts.

Distribution of Wolverine in Canada