Officials reported Thursday that a wolverine was spotted in three distinct locations in California last month – the second sighting of the animal in the state in the past century.
The wolverine was observed in the Eastern Sierra Nevada mountains, the Inyo National Forest in Inyo and Mono counties, and Yosemite National Park in Tuolumne County, according to a news release from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
May images and videos of the wolverine were acquired by witnesses and sent to the wildlife department, which consulted with U.S. Forest Service experts.
Scientists identified the animal as a wolverine based on its size, body proportion, coloring, and movement patterns, according to a news release from the wildlife department.
“Wolverines are capable of traveling great distances, so it is likely that the recent sightings are all of the same animal,” CDFW Senior Environmental Scientist Daniel Gammons said in a press release. In the past century, only two wolverines have been verified in California, so these latest sightings are exciting.
The wildlife department intends to collaborate with the National Park Service to collect hair, feces, and saliva samples from wolverines at feeding sites.
Second wolverine sighting in California in the past 100 years.
The field crews of the wildlife department confirmed the wolverine’s locations using the embedded coordinates in the photographs and videos.
The last observation of a wolverine in California occurred between 2008 and 2018. The wolverine was discovered in the Truckee region of the Tahoe National Forest in February 2008, according to the wildlife department.
“The recent wolverine sightings were likely of a different individual, given the species’ average lifespan of 12 to 13 years,” the wildlife department said.
Prior to that, the state had not recorded a confirmed wolverine sighting since the 1920s.
What does wolverine mean?
The wolverine is the largest terrestrial weasel relative. According to wildlife officials, they resemble a small bear and are primarily found in Canada and Alaska, with lesser populations in the Rocky and Cascade Mountains.
Under the California Endangered Species Act, wolverines are listed as a threatened species and are classified as fully protected.
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