Endangered species makes stunning return to habitat decades after disappearance — here's what you need to know

A wildlife comeback has proved thrilling for both nature lovers and Marvel fans alike.

After being hunted to local extinction, the elusive wolverine is returning to its historical habitat in southern Finland, as ABC News reported.

In a study published in the journal Ecology and Evolution, researchers confirmed a wolverine population increase in Finland's southern forests for the first time in over a century.

Once common in the region, wolverines nearly disappeared because of overhunting in the 20th century and were classified as endangered in the 1980s. But their comeback is a big win for conservationists and an encouraging sign of a recovering ecosystem.

Wolverines play an important role in their environment as predators and scavengers, helping maintain balance and biodiversity in forest ecosystems.

This story is a reminder that protecting and restoring habitats can make a real difference — not just for wildlife, but for people, too.

By keeping the food chain and ecosystem balanced and healthy, local communities see benefits in food security, agriculture, and their economies.

The researchers used satellite imaging, snow track data, and national forest inventories to trace the wolverines' path back south.

The findings show that the species prefers older, mixed forests with deciduous trees — an insight that could help guide forest management and conservation planning moving forward.

"Understanding habitats is essential for improving species conservation and management," said remote sensing expert Miina Rautiainen of Aalto University, who co-authored the study, in a statement.

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Her team emphasized that remote sensing has become a powerful tool for wildlife monitoring, especially when learning how changes to the environment affect species.

Fragmented forests are common in Finland, and they're especially challenging for the wolverine, which tends to avoid areas that have been recently cut down.

This was a light bulb moment for researchers, who realized previous studies had focused on mountainous regions that were unlike the boreal forests that wolverines seem to favor.

Lead author Pinja-Emilia Lämsä added that the study highlights how southern Finland's deciduous-dominated forests may be more valuable for wolverines than once thought.

With the help of tools like remote sensing and smart conservation strategies, researchers believe more wildlife comebacks like this are possible if we continue to protect and restore natural habitats.

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