Wolverines once roamed the high elevations of the Sierra Nevada. Never common, their numbers were much reduced by hunting, trapping and predator control activities. It is now doubtful that the species persists in the Sierra Nevada. Between January and May 2006 we conducted a winter survey for wolverines in the most likely last stronghold of the species, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Despite the high power of our survey to detect wolverines at densities as low as one animal per 1000 km² we found no evidence of wolverines in the park. We did record several other mesocarnivores at high elevations, including martens, fisher, coyote and bears. Our survey extended the known elevational winter range of coyotes to 10,500’.

The absence of wolverines from the Sierra Nevada represents an important loss to this ecosystem. In an effort to help restore the Sierra Nevada ecosystem and the wildness it represents, we are putting together a plan to reintroduce wolverines there. With over 15,000 km² of contiguous protected high-elevation wilderness (including Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, the John Muir Wilderness and Yosemite National Park) and healthy deer and carnivore populations wolverines should thrive in the southern Sierra Nevada, and we are working to ensure that the southern extent of the species’ historic range once again supports a healthy population.