ZooMontana was in the spotlight Friday morning when Mutual of Omaha's "Wild Kingdom" filmed an episode in Billings about the cute and curious wolverine.
The wolverine may look like a tiny grizzly bear with its large claws and snout, but it's actually a part of the mustelid family, along with the weasel, ferret and otter.
In fact, the wolverine is the largest terrestrial mustelid on Earth.
"They're an amazing animal to talk about. They're just so elusive. Not many people get to see them in the wild, but they're right here in the state of Montana," said ZooMontana Executive Director Jeff Ewelt.
As they tend to avoid humans in the wild, you probably won't be able to see them outside of a zoo.
The wolverine is an endangered species, and ZooMontana is working to increase its population with its breeding facility.
"We are so incredibly proud that we are a breeding facility for wolverines. That may not sound like much, but it's a big deal, because the wolverine that was born last year, Enda is her name, she was the only wolverine born in North America in any zoological park," Ewelt said.
Their success is one of the reasons Mutual of Omaha came to Billings to film the wolverine episode, all in the name of conservation.
"Not every zoo is made equal. Zoos like Zoomontana that are AZA accredited, that's the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, once you receive that accreditation, that really demonstrates that the zoo is an active part of wildlife conservation," said Wild Kingdom's co-host, Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant.
According to Wynn-Grant and Ewelt, humans tend to fear wolverines because of their large claws and resemblance to bears. However, they're quite elusive and tend to avoid humans in the wild.
But, the wolverines at ZooMontana, Enda, Sid and Ahmari, are extremely sociable around humans.
"They're also popular for the culture. I mean, we have entire superheroes named after the Wolverine, and so that means that we really wanted to get to know them better," Wynn-Grant said.
As the wolverines' population is declining, organizations like ZooMontana and Mutual of Omaha are working on ways to save them.
"Wolverines are endangered. They face a lot of threats and yet they are super important carnivores to the forest ecosystem," said Wynn-Grant.
The original show, "Wild Kingdom", debuted on NBC back in the 1960s. Last year, the show had a reboot on the same network with the same premise and mission: to highlight conservation efforts across the globe.
Aside from special conservation efforts, like supporting ZooMontana, to protect the lovable animal, Grant says we can also learn from the cute creatures.
"Stay curious. I love to tell everybody that no matter who you are, where you come from, and what your skill set is, there's a role for you in wildlife and nature conservation," she said.
"Wild Kingdom" airs on Saturday mornings on NBC. Check local listings for the time. An air date has not been announced for the wolverine episode.
To watch other episodes and to learn more about conservation, visit Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom website.
