YOSEMITE, Calif. — Multiple sightings of what is believed to be the same wolverine were recently reported to California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) officials — the second confirmed sightings in almost 100 years.
Two sightings took place in the Inyo National Forest in Inyo and Mono counties, and a third sighting was reported in Yosemite National Park.
Wolverine experts from the U.S. Forest Service and scientists identified the animal as a wolverine through pictures and videos by its size, shape, color and movement patterns.
“Wolverines can travel great distances, making it likely that the recent sightings are all of the same animal,” said CDFW Senior Environmental Scientist Daniel Gammons. “Because only two wolverines have been confirmed in California during the last 100 years, these latest detections are exciting.”
The prior California wolverine sightings happened in February 2008 in the Truckee region of the Tahoe National Forest.
Recent detections were likely of a different wolverine given that the species’ lifespan is typically 12 to 13 years.
CDFW plans to collaborate with the U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service to collect genetic samples from the wolverine through what it may have left behind.