King Brutus
Brutus was aptly named for someone born into a warrior clan. He was a well muscled dynamo, boss of his territory, when we encountered him four years ago. Brutus’s area was one of the first that we filmed in, and he was the first wolverine we captured on film. He was also one of the first to be positively identified by his distinct chest pattern. The ATA and ACA had just started the run-pole pilot project to determine if in fact wolverine pelt colouration could be used as an indicator of individual wolverines, and Brutus helped prove that it worked. As readers may remember the run-pole setup captures both a photo image of the wolverines distinct chest pattern, and a hair sample for DNA typing. When we last saw Brutus via trail-cam images he was in the peak of his physical condition and without doubt the dominant breeding male in his world.
Four years later my cameraman partner Andrew, is up in Rainbow Lake, once again filming wolverines, when researcher Matt Scafford gets a call about a wounded wolverine in one of the live traps. Andrew accompanies Matt to the live trap where an old beaten warrior of a wolverine patiently awaits their arrival, while munching on the beaver placed in the trap to entice him in. The gulo is in rough shape with a large gaping open wound on the top of its head. The wound is so grievous there is brief discussion on whether the male will even survive, and what is the ethical treatment for an animal in this rough a shape. It’s decided to give the male a shot of antibiotics and to release him unencumbered by a collar, and hope for the best.
Now my partner Andrew is a bit obsessive when it comes to his filming and there was something bothering him about this old senior of a wolverine, a twinge of familiarity. So going back through our file of wolverines he was shocked to discover our old friend Brutus had found him once again. This was odd as we were filming quite a ways from Brutus’s original range so it was obvious that Brutus had left his home, and by the looks of him not without a fight! No one said it was easy to be a wolverine.
Brutus became what we would call a trap bum. He would access the traps and allow himself to be caught in order to eat the beaver. It looked to me like he was making a very wise decision to fatten up while dining within the security of his private and secure dining room. No wolves or other wolverines could disturb him while contained within the confines of the enclosed live trap. Brutus became such a nuisance that the researchers closed the live traps in his area so that he would disperse, but not before leaving him some additional beaver to recharge and have a fighting chance for survival.
So what happened to Brutus? If you were to turn to our researcher friends for answers I suspect we’d be waiting for a while. I’ve discovered that no one in the academic world is quick to jump to any conclusions, and rightly so as they want their findings to be supported by their peers. But I’m not restrained by such constraints and have come to many conclusions about wolverines over the last four years as a result of being involved in the research, filming, and even trapping of wolverines. So I thought I’d share some of my ideas about the life of a wolverine, and perhaps in time we’ll see how accurate they are.
Brutus’s life path is no different then any other male. He was conceived in his father’s territory and will have a life-long affinity to his natal area. He spent his first few months with his mother, but come fall he started following his father throughout his territory. His father was no stranger to Brutus. His dad had faithfully maintained security at his birth den and protected his mother from the threats of other male wolverines and predators while she was in the den. He had also shown up during the summer spending time roaming with Brutus and his sister. But come fall Brutus left his mother and sister, and began shadowing his father, usually half an hour behind. By observation Brutus soon learned the importance of scent posting, prime hunting sites, and the dangers of being a wolverine from his father.
But like all young guys Brutus had a bit of wanderlust and started exploring areas outside of his fathers territory. Short excursions at first, but as winter progressed longer and longer trips away from his home territory, learning to avoid the homelands of other dominant male wolverines. And then March came, and Dad had no room in his territory for another male, as breeding would again begin. During an encounter his father attacked Brutus, going for the head as wolverines are prone to do. His father savaged Brutus and brutalized him to the point he fled for his life, and lucky for him that had, as death was the only other option.
Brutus fled to one of the areas that he had explored on his explorations. His nose had revealed the lack of any scent posts by other dominant males so he knew he was safe. Over the next two years Brutus learned the ins and outs of his new territory and how to become a dominant male. However he was both the hunter, and the hunted. Learning how to prey on beaver, grouse, and hares, which would make up a significant portion of his diet, while avoiding the packs of wolves that lusted for his blood, was no easy job. One mistake and you either starve to death or get killed. A pretty steep learning curve.
But Brutus had both luck and skill on his side and he lived, and not only that he had a secret. Ever so often Brutus would sneak back to his fathers territory. A quick foray down to check on Dad’s scent posts and territorial scratch trees would quickly demonstrate that his father was still in control of his kingdom, and Brutus would depart. But one year Brutus found an empty territory when he returned, his father no longer maintaining the borders of his kingdom. No doubt he was dead. Brutus returned to his birth territory and became the dominant male at age five, when we met him.
It was good to be king, and for several years Brutus ruled as absolute monarch. He bred the three females who’s territories he overlapped and passed his genes on to several new generations. He reaped the bounty of the land, in the process becoming big for his species, a well muscled adonis with fur that shone with health. But one day another male showed up in the territory, and Brutus knew him well, for it was his son. And like his Dad this guy was big and strong, and three years younger. Brutus put up a fierce fight, for no king leaves his throne willingly, but youth and strength won out and his son drove him from his land.
Like an old time biblical prophet Brutus wandered the land, and one full of others who would do him harm. This is prime wolverine country and other dominant males would not permit Brutus any opportunity to occupy their territory so Brutus had to keep moving, and fighting to survive. And then his nose led him to the sweet odour of beaver, nestled inside the live traps, enticing him in, and reacquainting us with Brutus. Miles and miles from his original home this grizzled old survivor refuses to give up. Scavenging wolf kills and the beaver baits of the researchers has given the old guy one more chance. When spring came we departed and our contact with Brutus was over.
I don’t know how, or where his story will end, but while he may not yet be king, he is still Brutus, a legend.
