A coalition of environmental groups recently filed suit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s decision to not list wolverines under the Endangered Species Act.
The lawsuit alleges the animal faces localized extinction as a result of climate change, habitat fragmentation and low genetic diversity.
“We have been seeking federal protections for wolverines for more than two decades, and we will not abandon them now,” said Jonathan Proctor, Rockies and Plains program director at Defenders of Wildlife, in a released statement. “The threats to wolverines are very real and the Fish and Wildlife Service must act on its duty to protect this animal.” The groups claim there are less than 300 wolverines across the lower 48 states.
