Wolverine (Gulo gulo)

[Shadow]

From the book Fighters, author Lassi Rautiainen:

"When Wolverines encounter Wolves

I was sitting with my Swedish friend Henrik Ekman in the hide at Viiksimo in the summer of 2006. The area was already well-known to me. As far back as 1982 I had been involved in bear photography, a passion that had continued throughout the 1990s. But it was not bears that I was excited about as we sat there patiently waiting for something to happen: some members of the Kivikiekki wolf pack had occasionally paid a visit to this ‘restaurant’ of ours at Viiksimo, some 30 kilometers north of their regular haunts. 

As we watched, a wolverine we named Aurora borealis (Northern lights) discovered our carrion. Its breast was a tapestry of yellow torches that appeared to dance about as it moved, just like the flickering lights. The obviously hungry wolverine began to tear pieces off a carcass, even to the point of delving right into the depths of the fare, while forgetting to monitor its environment. Normally a wolverine will become immediately aware of the arrival of a bear or wolf and will discretely flee. 

Behind the feeding wolverine a pale young wolf now emerged. Its curiosity aroused, the animal began to walk towards the wolverine. I nudged my companion so that he could record on video an encounter between the two which might come as a shock to the feasting wolverine. I urged him to zoom in on the action for I reckoned that recording the encounter on a single frame with a still camera would not be terribly exciting. In a motion picture, on the other hand, it would be far easier for viewers to appreciate the coming confrontation. It was obvious to me that we were about to witness an incredibly rare natural event as it unfolded. Never before had I seen a wolf and a wolverine within a few meters of each other. 

When the wolf had advanced to within less than ten metres of the wolverine, the latter became aware of its presence. Aurora borealis seemed to burst into flames, before abruptly attacking the wolf. Totally unprepared, the young wolf took to its heels in fear. My friend actually recorded just a short shot in video but on the other hand my still pictures were once again blurred and amateurish due to the gloomy conditions.

Great was our surprise when Aurora borealis and not the wolf returned to the table! Head held high, the wolverine seemed to communicate with the two of us, saying “How about that, then, chaps!”

A couple of years later I had a different kind of experience while at my usual post in Kivikiekki. A solitary wolverine was feeding at carrion in the middle of a mire. I concluded that neither wolves nor bears were in the vicinity since the wolverine had stepped boldly out into the open. But I was wrong. A long way away three wolves were sniffing at the wind. They had detected the wolverine’s presence.

Running for its life

Then a dramatic chase as breathtaking as in any world cup match ensued. The wolves soon figured out that a wolverine on an open mire is defenceless and eagerly took off after it. Having only short legs, the wolverine decided to place an obstacle or two on the course. Water spurted into the air as the animal sped towards a small, dry ‘island’ of trees in the middle of the bog. For a moment I felt I was witnessing an incredible drama: the wolverine would surely lose the game and the wolves would tear it to pieces. 

When it seemed that the poor animal stood no chance of escape, the wolverine gained the ‘island’, where it shot up an old pine tree like a rocket, sending down a flurry of loose bark. Unable to climb after it, the disappointed wolves milled round the base of the tree. Panting from the chase, the pursuers stayed there a short time, before realizing the futility of hanging around. It was indeed a long time before the wolverine risked descending to the ground, to slip into the forest. 

Surrounded by trees, wolverines can easily outwit marauding wolves. They can climb up out of reach, if necessary. Rocks and scree are their favorite sanctuaries, as they are able to hide away deep down under boulders. Wolves are unable to squeeze into tight crannies. In such situations wolverine families are safely out of danger. 

I was convinced that particular wolverine had learned the lesson that open terrain is bad for the health. Other wolverines have since underscored that fact. Before the wolves appeared we had photographed wolverines from all our hides, irrespective of the environment. In contrast, in recent years we have observed wolverines in the forest and only very rarely in open, potentially hazardous country. The wolverine also has a predator’s keen sense of smell, helping it avoid conflict. It has learned the wolves’ schedule and avoids being out and about at the same time.

Compared to the wolf, the wolverine is a pretty useless hunter. Following wolves about in the forest may thus be advantageous to it. When wolves kill a moose there is always some offal left. Wolves do not stay next to a kill all the time. This enables a wolverine or bear to purloin some of the food."


That text is from pages 120-124. 


I put here caption and photo from page 125. Photo isn´t nice to look at. Book is available for free as online version here: https://www.articmedia.fi/

"In late April some Italian visitors showed me a ghoulish photo of a scalped wolverine. I immediately set off to study the traces of a conflict: two wolves had surprised a wolverine in the forest. The encounter had taken place 2-3 days previously, so the prints were no longer clear. Over the summer the right eye, which had been dislodged sideways, moved back into its normal position and the scalp grew back to cover the entire skull. Miraculously, this hero was still alive several months later." Reply

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