After classifying the wolverine as a "threatened" species in the 1990s, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has announced the animal has recovered its footing and is no longer in danger of becoming extinct.

A member of the weasel family, the wolverine (also known as the skunk bear), is a solitary carnivore known for its ferocity and remarkable strength not expected of an animal of its size.

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The wolverine, which is found in the snowy, mountainous areas of the western United States, has been known to prey on much larger animals.

In the 1990s, wildlife experts believed the wolverine was inevitably facing extinction due to excessive hunting. The animal is prized for its fur.

After being placed on the threatened species list, the animal has recovered its numbers, prompting the FWS to declare the wolverine as no longer "threatened."

The animal is still losing some of its habitat due to the intervention of humans and global warming. The FWS, however, doesn't believe climate change is a major threat to the wolverine in the future.

Removing the wolverine from the threatened species list could once again lead to a possible extinction of the wolverine, according to the Center for Biological Diversity's Endangered Species. Some biologists working for the wildlife service agree.

FWS Director Noah Greenwald said "all the science points to these animals being in serious trouble, the service's own biologists said global warming was pushing the wolverine towards extinction."

FWS director Dan Ashe noted "This decision has been a complex and challenging one to make. If new information emerges that suggests we should take another look at listing, we will not hesitate to do that."