Wonderful Wolverine in the forest. Only a few minutes earlier a Brown Bear had paid a visit to this clearing in the forest which we had been watching for some time. Now a Wolverine appeared in the same clearing. It routed around in the undergrowth, had a good scratch and scooted off. Being in the heart of the taiga forest in northeast Finland was the prefect location to see this fascinating animal.
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.