Wolverine on a Reindeer carcass. It was mid afternoon in the Taiga forest in north east Finland very close to the Russian border. As we scanned around for either bears or wolves, we spotted a small, dark animal scurrying amongst the undergrowth. A Wolverine! It emerged from the forest and headed towards the reindeer carcass. We hoped we would see this amazing creature but our hopes were not that high. But here it was and it put on a great display for us. It stayed on the carcass for several minutes before heading back into the forest.
Wolverines go by many different names such as Carcajou or Skunk Bear. The one I like best is Glutton because of their voracious appetites. These cute looking creatures pack a real punch. They have a reputation as a ferocious predator and have strength out of all proportion to their size. Whilst they are adept scavengers they will also take on large prey such as Lynx, Wolf pups and deer. A animal not to to be messed with!
Wolverines are the largest of the land-dwelling weasel family (Mustelidae) and weigh 9-30kg. They have long and sharp semi-retractable claws which allow then to climb trees. They are found in cold, northern latitudes around the world. One of their natural predators is the Wolf and often the presence of wolves drives out the Wolverines. So we were fortunate to see this individual despite the presence of a 14 strong pack of wolves.