Only 300 Wolverine animals left in Continental America

Submitted by MGoCooper on

I know this isn't quite sports related, but the Wolverine is our namesake. Sadly, people are hunting these animals and poisoning them. It's about time that we call them an endangered species, because it's getting ridiculous. These animals are really quite amazing, and are probably the toughest animal pound for pound on the planet.

 

http://news.mongabay.com/2011/1204-hance_wolverines.html

 

But there is some good news from this article, that proves just how tough and durable the wolverine is. There are about 30 of them in the rocky mountains, that appear to be thriving in that element. That being said, i wish the University would work on getting the wolverine put on the endangered species list in America. Not only that, but it is the state animal of Michigan.

 

LB

December 6th, 2011 at 3:18 AM ^

And I agree, there is no way Wolverines can be OT on a Michigan Blog, not to mention a University of Michigan Football blog. We really don't have a state animal, we have a state mammal. I suggest that the Wolverine can be the state animal, the spartans will get over it, at about the same time they get over Mike Hart.

Blazefire

December 5th, 2011 at 10:52 PM ^

The more endangered wolverines are, the better they get!

In actual newsI guess the population is still thriving in northern Canada, so they're not considered endangered due to worldwide numbers.

In reply to by MichiganTeacher

redhousewolverine

December 6th, 2011 at 12:35 AM ^

Also, unfortunately due to incorrect academic stereotypes and that God-awful movie, people seem to think that spartans were elite soldiers. They really weren't as big of badasses as history seems to record. I can't remember who said it but an individual Greek soldier was not very deadly individually but the hoplite provided a coordinated group effort elevating the potency of the Greek warriors. Basically a bunch of soldiers would deck out heavily in bronze armor, grab a big shield and spear, and smash into enemy formations. This worked well at Thermopylae since they could hide in a canyon (literally sit in a small pass and force the more lightly armed Persians to attack) and weather the Persian attacks by eliminating the Persian superior mobility and missile weaponry. This is how Greece won any battle against Persian (until Alexander who was Macedonian). Marathon and Plataea, the two bigger battles and actual Greek victories provided the Greeks the ability to corner the Persians against the sea and limit the mobility. Additionally, there were thousands of other Greeks at Thermopylae. When the Greeks learned of the Persian maneuver around the pass, the Greeks retreated, except the Spartans who did bravely offer to hold off the Persian advance and the Thebans who stayed because they were going to defect toe Persian (those other guys in 300). Also, the Persians didn't have millions of soldiers. Herodotus lied. The final number of the Persian army was the better part of 5 million, including woman and artisans etc. Imagine trying to move 5 million people across Persian, through modern day Bulgaria and Macedonia, and into Greece. Logistical nightmare. Experts estimate only 40,000ish Persian soldiers.

Furthermore the Spartans never really beat anyone of significance. After conquering the Peloponnese, the enslaved other Greeks to farm and work as slaves for them, which allowed them to train there children as soldiers. As a consequence, they were always hesitant to send their army from the Peloponnese, since the other Greeks would revolt and kill everyone in Sparta, one of the reasons they only sent 300 to Thermopylae. They actually tended to avoid fights and really just talked a big game. The significant victories over Persian where Marathon (by Athens) in the first war and Salamis (where the Athenian navy destroyed the entire Persian navy) in the second war. Plataea was the final victory where a Greek army destroyed the remaining Persian army who were left behind as Xerxes (Persian king) had already retreated. Basically Sparta didn't defeat Persia. Next Spartans will claim, hey they beat the Athenians in the Pelopponnesian War, which is semi-true. Yes, they did win, but Athens lost mainly due to infighting admidst themselves and an incrediblely ill-concieved and fatal mission to Sicily. Basically Athenian corruption, a plague, and the fact that Athens mounted a whol expedition to Sicily who promptly destroyed the enire Athenian army and navy, led them to lose the war. Sparta did destroy a subsequent Athenian navy which was impressive, but that was a sea battle. Sparta wins almost by default and in less than 40 years, after a few mediocre victories over eh opponents, gets their ass kicked by Thebes and they fall back into mediocrity for the rest of time.

Conclusion: I would take 300 Wolverines over 300 spartans any day (all you do is feign a frontal assault and manuever half the Wolverines to the flank of the spartan hoplite and then a massacre happens - tough to run away with heavy bronze armor). Ironically the history of Athens and Sparta somewhat resembles that of the past couple years...

TyrannousLex

December 6th, 2011 at 7:15 AM ^

Not to mention that after the Peloponnesian War, Sparta basically forced Athens to give up democracy. (not that it wasn't without its hiccups in Athens or that the Athenian Empire was all sweetness and light) A few in the assembly were dead set against dissolving the democracy, so the Spartans waited until they left in protest ... and then held the vote to democratically dissolve democracy.

RoxyMtnHiM

December 5th, 2011 at 11:27 PM ^

There is supposed to be a radio-collared wolverine roaming around the Rocky Mountain National Park area. The park service, though, has been real secretive about its exact whereabouts though I've heard it moves pretty widely around the area. I spend nearly 150 days a year in the park and have had close encounters with everything up to mountain lions. Seen no sign of the wolverine but I like the idea of it being around.

RoxyMtnHiM

December 5th, 2011 at 11:41 PM ^

From Wikipedia:

The Wildlife Conservation Society reported in June 2009 that a wolverine researchers had been tracking for almost three months had crossed into northern Colorado. Society officials had tagged the young male wolverine in Wyoming near Grand Teton National Park and it had traveled southward for approximately 500 miles. It was the first wolverine seen in Colorado since 1919, and its appearance was also confirmed by the Colorado Division of Wildlife.

Also: interesting High Country News article.