{"id":411444,"date":"2026-01-16T19:20:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T19:20:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/411444\/"},"modified":"2026-01-16T19:20:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T19:20:07","slug":"when-wolves-and-wolverines-collide-what-research-says-about-how-these-predators-may-interact-in-colorado","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/411444\/","title":{"rendered":"When wolves and wolverines collide: What research says about how these predators may interact in Colorado"},"content":{"rendered":"

As every Coloradan should be aware of, wolves were reintroduced to the state in December of 2023 and they\u2019ve been making headlines ever since. Less discussed is the impending wolverine reintroduction<\/a>, which will mean adding another long-gone predator species to the state\u2019s landscape within a relatively short timespan assuming plans come to fruition.<\/p>\n

While both the wolf and the wolverine had breeding populations in the Centennial State into the early 1900s, it\u2019s been many decades since both species have interacted in Colorado, begging the question: what will happen when these two species meet?<\/p>\n

An academic piece featured in a publication<\/a> called Ecology and Evolution in 2023 takes a look at this specific scenario, seeking to address a subject that authors described as understudied in North America.<\/p>\n

Research found that wolves and wolverines tend to occupy a similar habitat, also seeking out similar food sources. In a sense, this pits them against each other in the fight to survive and means that \u2013 despite each species\u2019 elusiveness and low population density \u2013 interactions may occur.<\/p>\n

While a brazen wolverine might be able to fight off a lone wolf, that\u2019s less likely to be the outcome should a wolverine encounter a pack. The paper took a look at three instances that a pack-encounter occurred over the course of 13 months, each of which resulted in the wolverine\u2019s demise.<\/p>\n

The key takeaway from the research, however, wasn\u2019t that wolves killed the wolverine \u2013 after all, wolves tend to be opportunistic hunters with a palate for a wide range of prey. Instead, the takeaway was that in each case where the wolves killed the wolverine, the apex predators opted not to consume the wolverine\u2019s carcass.<\/p>\n

According to researchers, this likely means that the killings were the result of \u201cdefense of a food resource, territoriality, interspecific competitive killing, or some combination of those behaviors.\u201d After all, wolves don\u2019t generally kill for sport<\/a> with even \u2018surplus killings\u2019 \u2013 wolves killing more animals that can be consumed \u2013 tends to be unusual behavior.<\/p>\n

So, there you have it \u2013 if a wolf pack encounters a wolverine on Colorado\u2019s landscape and the wolverine is unable to escape (keep in mind that wolverines are really good a climbing trees), there\u2019s a good chance the wolverine will be killed and left to rot.<\/p>\n

\"\"A wolverine on a branch. Photo: JanMengr (iStock).<\/p>\n

Find the full research paper here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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