Wolverines in Court: Suing for Survival

A coalition of wildlife and conservation groups are suing the federal government, claiming the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service broke the law by not giving the wolverine protection under the Endangered Species Act.

The suit, filed this morning in U.S. District Court in Missoula, has been anticipated for weeks, following last spring's decision to not place wolverines on the list.

Federal biologists have argued the wolverine populations in the high country of the Northwest have been increasing in recent years, with estimates placing their numbers as high as 300.

However, the suit brought by Earthjustice says there's evidence to the contrary, arguing the number of the elusive mammals is actually falling, and in danger of dropping further because of the impacts from climate change. And the suit challenges the FWS' assumptions, saying the decision wasn't based on hard data about climate changes and how that will effect the mountain snowpack where the wolverines raise their young.

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