Famous and elusive wolverine photographed in south Calgary

Famous for their ferocity and elusiveness, wolverines are a rare sight in the Canadian wilderness, even to researchers. As such, seeing one in a city the size of Calgary is almost unbelievable.

Yet that is what happened on Saturday in the southern outskirts of the city. Two wildlife photographers took pictures of the solitary carnivore as it sped through the frozen marshes.

“It made quite a fuss,” said Gordon Cooke, one of the photographers. “I had no idea what it was until it burst open and I took some pictures of it.”

A few of his images captured the wolverine perched on a log, looking over wetlands. The photos are clear enough to see the fur on his clumped and wet back.

For Cooke, who has been a wildlife photographer for 11 years, capturing such an elusive creature marked the pinnacle of his career.

Chris Fisher, an Alberta naturalist, described wolverines as icons of northern forests and mountains. Solitary and fierce, they have been seen battling larger predators, such as bears, wolves, and cougars.

“He’s a desert superhero,” Fisher said Monday on the Calgary Eyeopener. “Honestly, you don’t see them anywhere, let alone a major metropolitan city like Calgary.”

Fisher suspects the wolverine seen over the weekend has recently become estranged from her mother, as she will have to take care of new kits this spring.

He hopes the animal will have fewer human encounters in the future.

Wolverines live solitary lives over vast expanses of land.

Recent research suggests that their numbers in and around national parks along the Alberta-British Columbia border are declining due to a combination of increased human recreation, trapping, and climate change.

Snow is thought to be an important factor in wolverine habitat. A decrease in montane and boreal snow cover could limit the ability of female wolverines to find denning sites to rear their young.