Global Courant
A wolverine was spotted three times last month in the eastern Sierra Nevada, a rare occurrence for an animal that has only been seen once in California in the past 100 years, state conservationists said.
Although wolverines are native to California, they’ve been essentially extinct in the state since the 1920s—probably the result of hunting and fur trapping in the decades following the gold rush, though records from that time don’t pinpoint exactly what caused the population to decline.
One wolverine was spotted in the state from 2008 to 2018, starting in the Tahoe National Forest, officials said. Last month’s wolverine is probably another because the animal’s lifespan is usually 12 to 13 years.
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A wolverine was sighted three times in the eastern Sierra Nevada last month. (Fox news)
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The newest glutton appears to be a young man looking for a mate. The animal has been spotted twice in Inyo National Forest and once in Yosemite National Park.
“It’s just really exciting and surprising,” said Daniel Gammons, a senior environmental scientist with California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Male wolverines roam huge areas — easily several hundred square miles — and this winter’s heavy snowfall in the west may have created “habitat bridges” for the wolverines, Gammons said. The animal may have come from the Rocky and Cascade mountain ranges, or even Canada or Alaska.
Conservationists are trying to get hold of a specimen of the wolverine’s hair or feces for genetic testing. The species – the largest terrestrial member of the weasel family – is listed as endangered under the California Endangered Species Act.
