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It's been a wild year, in many senses of the word, and the very end of it brings the loss of one of the great minds of the conservation world, a thinker on the idea of what "wild" truly means. EO Wilson died this week at age 92, after a career that included pivotal roles in developing the theory of island biogeography, the field of sociobiology. and the careers of many hundreds of aspiring biologists - myself included. I met Wilson at a bioblitz in Massachusetts, shortly after I returned from four years living abroad in Mongolia and Cambodia. I was 26, and considering pursuing conservation biology, but was put off by the lack of attention to the global boreal ecosystems I loved. We talked about this, and he said that although tropical regions got most of the funding and consideration when it came to biodiversity, boreal conservation was an urgent issue as well, and perhaps more urgent given that there were fewer species to buffer losses in northern ecosystems. A world famous scientist's endorsement of one's professional interests goes a long way to boosting confidence. I owe much of how my life turned out to that conversation in a Massachusetts field.
Only years later did I read Wilson's The Creation and learn that one of his two favorite animals was the wolverine (the other, naturally, was an ant). I quote him below on why he felt inspired by wolverines; I am sure many of you will find his perspectives resonant with your own.
And although our mission here at TWF is to make the wolverine a little less mysterious, in direct contradiction of Wilson's preferences, we all know that this species is unlikely to ever become too familiar. Wolverines will remain a challenge to us as scientists (how can we better understand a species so elusive?), as outdoors-people (will any of us ever be able to match a wolverine's mountaineering feats?), and as people who care about the future of the planet (how do we conserve these species with whom we have significant relationships, given the ever-increasing evidence of climate change effects?) The wolverine is a source of inspiration, and even faith in the idea of wildness and awe, and for Wilson's acknowledgment of that - as for his vast contributions to the way we think about ecology, conservation, and the natural world - wolverine fans must be grateful.
For those of you who have recently sent year-end contributions to support wolverine research and conservation, a huge thank you! We are also deeply grateful for your support. Stay tuned for further news as we head into 2022, and in the meantime, Happy New Year to all.
Rebecca Watters
Executive Director
The Wolverine
I have never seen a wild wolverine, and I hope I never will. This weasel-like mammal of the north woods is legendary for its ferocity, cunning, and elusiveness. Chunky in form, three to four feet long and weighing twenty to forty pounds, it is one of Earth’s smallest top-tier predators. It feeds on everything from rats to deer. It can chase cougars and wolf packs away from downed prey, and drag carcasses three times its own weight. It has fuzzy black fur, but this is no animal you’d want to pet. It has sharp teeth, a predator’s retractable claws, and the face of a miniature bear. It walks flat footed and low to the ground, such that when standing still it seems poised to spring forward….
The other vernacular names given it, devil bear, skunk bear, caracajou, and glutton, and even its brutish scientific name, Gulo gulo, suggest the gap that exists between the wolverine and humanity. Add to that the difficulty of spotting a wolverine in the wild. Individuals are both solitary and exceptionally shy of humans. They wander far and wide – here today, over there somewhere tomorrow, and gone for good the day after that.
Its savage demeanor is not, however, the reason I want to avoid the wolverine. The reason is that I find Gulo gulo the embodiment of wildness, and I know that there will still be untrammeled habitats on earth if wolverines still roam there. I trust they will hold on in the vast subarctic forest, somewhere in North America or Eurasia, in places too far to be reached by vehicles… Wildlife biologists will need to know the general status of the wolverine in order to save the species, but I hope there will always be remote regions of its range barred to trappers and even scientists. Please let part of the wolverine stay a mystery!
- EO Wilson, The Creation, 2006
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