Rare wolverine sighted in Washington on the shore, Wildlife Officials startled

A rare wolverine’s sighting on the Washington state’s Long Beach Peninsula has reportedly startled the Wildlife officials. A woman claimed to have made the distinctive discovery by presenting a photograph to the officials she took while having a meal on a Pacific coast beach over the weekend, according to US media reports. The image, taken May 23, featured a wolverine, which belongs to the weasel family, devouring the carcass of a marine creature that was washed ashore.  

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife official, Jeff Lewis, was quoted saying that the image was special and noteworthy. He said the chances of the existence of this wolverine was way outside the beaten path, as they usually preferred cold and snow. Describing the appearance of the animal, Lewis said, the wolverine looked something like a cross between a dog, a bear, and a skunk and it meandered on the road east of Long Beach Peninsula on May 20, when it was spotted by one other explorer as well. Given the oddball nature of these observations, it seems likely this is the same animal he said, adding, it was not near the habitats they are usually at. 

Read: Florida Wildlife Officials Use Doughnuts To Lure Bear Roaming Freely

Read: Wildlife Still In Official China Event Menus, Key Politician Pushes For A Vegetarian Diet

Pushed to the brink of extinction

According to a wildlife report on the endangered species, Wolverines in the lower 48 states in the US have been threatened by the low count, contributing to their genetic diversity, as well as the low overall population number. It could be attributed to the relative isolation from populations, global warming which reduced the snowpack wolverines rely on for den sites, winter recreation in denning areas, and trapping in Montana. Several such factors pushed the creatures to the brink of extinction. Wolverines appear like the small bears and stay in distant mountainous areas, as per the Oregon Zoo report published in 2012.  

Photographer Jennifer Henry, who capture the species image, reportedly said that she requested the officials to check the picture as it was so uncommon to spot a wolverine on the shore. Further, she stated that the officials were reluctant to believe her at first, constantly denying the possibility. Jennifer first saw the creature while riding her bicycle down the shore and approached her husband with the photograph who confirmed it to her that the animal was a wolverine, according to reports.  

Read: Africa’s Endangered Wildlife At Risk As Tourism Dries Up

Read: Australian PM Morrison: Virus Origin Likely Wildlife Wet Market

(Credit: Pixabay/Representative Image)