Rare wolverine spotted: Only the second in California in 100 years
Wolverines commonly live across Alaska and Canada but are very rarely seen in the Pacific Northwest and California. Hunters have thinned their numbers.
Wolverine fast facts
We have had a few very rare sightings of wolverines in the lower 48 recently. FOX Weather dug up a few fun facts.
California scientists are excited about recent sightings of a wolverine, only the second in the state in the last 100 years.
Researchers last documented a wolverine in the Golden State between 2008 and 2018 near Lake Tahoe. Since the animal only lives 12 to 13 years, scientists feel this recent animal is a different one. The last confirmed sighting before 2008 was in the 1920s, the CDFW says.
Several individuals took wolverine pictures and videos in the Inyo National Forest and Yosemite National Park in May. Officials from the U.S. Forest Service and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife analyzed the size, colorings and gate and determined all sightings were of the same animal.
RARE FOX ONCE THOUGHT TO BE EXTINCT SPOTTED ON CALIFORNIA TRAIL CAMERAS
One of the pictures of a wolverine in Yosemite National Park.
(Yosemite National Park / FOX Weather)
"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 in a statement. "Because only two wolverines have been confirmed in California during the last 100 years, these latest detections are exciting."
Looks like a small bear but is a weasel
The animal that looks like a bear is actually the largest member of the weasel family living on terra firma. It is not unusual to find one across Canada and Alaska, areas that get deep snow. Only small populations live in the Rockies and Cascades.
Just two months ago, officials reported the first wolverine sighting near Portland, Oregon, in over 30 years. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife feel the animal was just passing through though.
FIRST WOLVERINE SIGHTING IN OVER 30 YEARS REPORTED ALONG OREGON RIVER NEAR PORTLAND
A wolverine was sighted along the Columbia River near Portland, Oregon.
(Cascadia Wild / FOX Weather)
The species grows to 26 to 41 inches long with a bushy 5 to 10-inch tail, according to Britannica.com. The largest males can weigh up to 66 pounds, but most are between 18 and 40 pounds.
"The wolverine is noted for its strength, cunning, fearlessness, and voracity, and the species is renowned for its ability to face down and fight larger predators that are more than twice its size," the encyclopedia states.
One can travel up to 30 miles in search of food, mainly alone and at night. The carnivore calls porcupines, squirrels, moose, deer and livestock a meal.
EXTREMELY RARE WHITE KANGAROOS SPOTTED AT AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
File: A Scandinavian wolverine bearing teeth.
(Arterra/Universal Images Group / Getty Images)
Threatened species
Hunters have thinned the population worldwide. Wolverine fur became popular as trim on winter outerwear because the strands are smooth and frost brushes off easily.
Ranchers and farmers reduce the population, too, through hunting and poisoning because the wolverines attack livestock, according to Britannica.
"Scientists studying North American wolverines have observed significant population declines in regions experiencing sharp decreases in snowpack," continues the encyclopedia.
The California Endangered Species Act lists the animal as threatened.