A rare wolverine — perhaps the same one that popped up in Oregon around this time last year — has been spotted in rural Clackamas County, wildlife officials confirmed Monday.
The wolverine appeared along Oregon 99 in the city of Barlow, and officials with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said the animal could be passing by the highway in search of better habitat in a process known as dispersal.
Last year’s wolverine sightings — near the Columbia River and then in Damascus and Beavercreek in March 2023— were the first confirmed reports outside of the Wallowa Mountains in over 30 years.
“It could be the same one,” a representative for the state wildlife department wrote on X on Monday afternoon, “but there is no way to know for certain.”
Oregon is not typically home to wolverines, since they prefer wide open spaces and the colder climates of Canada, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported last year.
Officials ask that people keep away from wolverines in the wild. Anyone who spots one, though, can report the sighting to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife via the website iNaturalist.
Most Popular Stories by Beth Slovic
— Beth Slovic is a deputy editor on the public safety and breaking news team. Reach her at 503-221-8551 or bslovic@oregonian.com.
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