Scientists Confirm Wolverine Sighting In California For The Second Time In 100 Years

A wolverine sighting has officially been confirmed in California, making it the second wolverine to be spotted in 100 years. Aside from a sighting over 7 years ago, wolverines haven’t been seen in California since the 1920s.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife issued a press release in which they confirmed the sightings of “what is believed to be the same wolverine.”

The wolverine was spotted in the month of May in the Eastern Sierra Nevada mountains.

According to the press release, two of the sightings were in the Inyo National Forest in Inyo and Mono counties. A third sighting occurred in Yosemite National Park in Tuolumne County.

CDFW Senior Environmental Scientist Daniel Gammons said in the press release:

“Wolverines can travel great distances, making it likely that the recent sightings are all of the same animal. Because only two wolverines have been confirmed in California during the last 100 years, these latest detections are exciting.”

Between 2008 and 2018, a single wolverine was sighted in California. Before that sighting, the last confirmed wolverine sightings in California were in the 1920s.

Under the California Endangered Species Act, wolverines are protected and listed as threatened. While rare in California, they’re widely distributed in Canada and Alaska and less often found in the lower 48.