Wolverines

Updated 10/22/26

Meet Olga and her three sons, Avada, Cruciatus, and Imperius!  

Olga is 12 years old and came to the Alaska Zoo from a zoo in Russia. Her three boys are about 1 year old and were born right here at the zoo in early 2025. 

Wolverines have a reputation for being fierce and mean, but we like to think of them as amazing survivalists instead! These powerful members of the weasel family can live in a variety of environments, from snowy forests to rugged mountains. Their thick fur helps protect them from the cold, and their strong legs and large paws help them travel through deep snow. 

Despite their relatively small size, wolverines are incredibly strong. Males can weigh up to 40 pounds, while females typically weigh between 13 and 26 pounds. They have long, curved claws for digging, climbing, and finding food, along with powerful jaws and specially shaped teeth that can crush frozen bones. That comes in handy when you're trying to get every last bit of nutrition from a meal! 

Their scientific name, Gulo gulo, means “glutton,” referring to their reputation for eating a lot when food is available. Wolverines are carnivores and opportunistic feeders. They hunt smaller animals like rabbits and rodents, but they also scavenge carcasses left behind by larger predators or animals that have died naturally. 

Wolverines are usually solitary, traveling alone across enormous territories in search of food. They can cover up to 40 miles in a single day! They are active throughout the day and night, adapting their routines to find food and survive in challenging conditions. 

Wolverines live across Alaska, northern Canada, and parts of the northern United States. Olga and her sons are Eurasian wolverines, a type found across Russia and Scandinavia. 

Although wolverines are considered a species of least concern globally, some populations face serious challenges. Wolverines in the lower 48 states are threatened, and European populations are vulnerable. They need large areas of wilderness and deep snowpack for shelter and raising their young. Habitat loss, overharvesting, and climate change can all put their future at risk. 

Olga and her family are part of a conservation breeding program called the Species Survival Plan, which helps maintain healthy populations of animals in human care.  

When you support the Alaska Zoo, you help fund animal care, conservation, and education programs that benefit vulnerable and threatened species like wolverines. Please consider a donation or becoming a member today.