Wild Wolverine Spotted in California for Second Time In 100 Years
Documented in the Sierra Nevada mountains last month, the sighting is one of only two confirmed wolverine sightings in California in over ten decades
Getty; The California Department of Fish and Wildlife
California was graced with a rare visitor!
A wolverine was spotted in the Eastern Sierra Nevada mountains in May. According to a news release from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the last wild wolverine spotted in the state was discovered over a decade ago.
Observed in Tahoe National Forest in February 2008, the previous wolverine was tracked by scientists for a decade after it was first documented. However, given the species’ typical lifespan of around 12 years, this new sighting is likely not the same wolverine as the creature in 2008, according to the June 1 release.
Related: First Wolverine Spotted Outside Its Oregon Habitat in More Than 30 Years: 'Very Surprised'
Before these two sightings, the most recent documentation of a wolverine in the state of California dates back to the 1920s, per the department.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife
“Because only two wolverines have been confirmed in California during the last 100 years, these latest detections are exciting,” Daniel Gammons, a senior environmental scientist at the department, stated in the release.
The new wolverine was documented through videos and photos taken by different individuals in different locations. According to the release, the wild animal was seen twice in the Inyo National Forest and once in Yosemite National Park.
Although not confirmed, the different May sightings are likely the same wolverine, the release states, because the species tends to travel great distances.
The department plans to collect genetic material from the wolverine's feeding sites to confirm that the recent sightings are all of the same animal in collaboration with both the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service.
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Getty
While they rarely pop up in California, wolverines are most common in Canada and Alaska, "with smaller populations in the Rocky and Cascade mountains." The animal is fully protected as a threatened species under the California Endangered Species Act, per the release.
The largest land-dwelling species in the weasel family, wolverines often look like small bears. California wolverine sightings can be reported to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife through its Wildlife Incident Reporting System.
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