Colorado wildlife agency considering whether to re-introduce wolverines

The Colorado Department of Wildlife is looking into whether to propose a plan to re-introduce wolverines into the state.

The Fort Collins Coloradoan reported Tuesday that agency representatives have been conducting discussions with interests that would be impacted if the carnivorous mammal is re-introduced on public lands in the mountains.

The article said that the state's Wildlife Commission isn't likely to take up the issue soon enough to allow re-introduction before 2012.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Monday that the wolverine is eligible for listing as an endangered or threatened species under federal law, but that such protection is precluded by other agency priorities.

A wolverine was discovered in Colorado last year. It was the first known individual of the species within the state's borders since 1919.

A stocky animal that can weigh from about 20 to about 70 pounds, the wolverine is a member of the weasel family and has a reputation for being both strong for its size and a resilient defender of its food.

Image courtesy Wikimedia.