Semi-OT: Alaskans want to train wolverines to rescue avalanche survivors

Submitted by Michigasling on

Although the author admits her skepticism of the project (wolverines have "a tendency to leap at any soft neck tissue they see"), a wild-life photographer and the founder of the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center think it's worth a try.

If people are going to change minds on this, it's Mike Miller and Steve Kroschel, two dudes in Alaska who really, really love wolverines. The pair have teamed up on a one-of-a-kind pilot project that, fingers crossed, could be using the small but mighty beasts' super powers of scent to save lost skiers caught in avalanches by winter 2017.

Kroschel says the key is to train them from infancy to imprint them with humans as buddies. However...

...even with careful training, Kroschel says the current plan won't allow a wolverine to actually dig for a rescue. He adds his own trained wolverines can still act pretty scrappy. "They bite me on the neck, and they drag me around," he tells me. "They know just how hard to bite without killing me."

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DrMantisToboggan

April 29th, 2016 at 11:28 AM ^

1. This has been posted to the board at least twice already. 

2. I first read this as Arkansasians, which, to me, made even more sense. I guess my brain thought that the Alaskan article had been on the board so much that this post had to be a new development. 

3. Arkansas sucks a lot, they shoud definitely try to train some Wolverines. Clean up the gene pool a tad. 

MGoStu

April 29th, 2016 at 12:21 PM ^

On the off chance I ever survive and avalanche, an actual wolverine may be the last thing I want to see coming my way. Unless they are repelled by the scent of urine, because I would definitely piss myself.

DrewGOBLUE

April 30th, 2016 at 8:35 AM ^

Pissing yourself is actually a legitimate survival tactic since 1) the way it trickles tells you if you're buried up or down and 2) the scent may help dogs track your location.

But if it's a wolverine on the prowl, a voluntary decision whether or not to pee would be more about personal preference—you wanna suffocate or be savagely eaten?

Mr. Elbel

April 29th, 2016 at 6:50 PM ^

This sets up perfectly for wolverines. They can pretend to get all trained and such, then go out on a rescue, dig down into the snow, eat the victim, then come back up like "I couldn't find them..." That sounds more realistic to me.