The wolverine Gulo gulo population and its distribution in the Great Khingan Mountains, northeastern China

The geographical distribution and relative density of the wolverine Gulo gulo population in the Great Khingan Mountains, northeastern China, were surveyed during 1996-2000. The wolverine distribution is decreasing and the population size may be < 200 individuals. In the Great Khingan Mountains forestry areas, the wolverine was mainly separated into two small subpopulations within a total area of 80,000 km(2). Moreover, since the 1990s no wolverines or signs of wolverine activity have been found in the Altai Mountains, Sinkiang Province, in northwestern China, which has been another main distribution area for the wolverine in China. We suggest that habitat loss, food limitation and poaching are the main reasons for the decline of the wolverine population in China.