Environment, Energy and Transportation

An 'unprecedented year' for wolverine sightings in Oregon continues

KLCC | By Karen Richards

Published June 9, 2024 at 7:02 AM PDT

On Monday, March 20, 2023, this wolverine was seen along the Columbia River near Portland. The sighting was rare, as wolverines typically reside in Eastern Oregon.

There was yet another wolverine encounter on the Oregon Coast late last week.

Wolverines are rare in Oregon, but in the spring of 2023 there were several sightings along the Columbia River, and this April and May, several sightings occurred along the central coast and in Eugene.

Beth Quillian with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said a wolverine was reported in Florence last Wednesday and Thursday, and that the ODFW confirmed a wolverine photo on Thursday. The next day, the young male was caught in a padded foot-hold trap on a beach in Coos County. The traps are meant to protect threatened western snowy plovers. Wildlife teams acted quickly to immobilize, test and release the wolverine.

“At this point, we don’t have quite enough information to confirm whether or not it is the same individual that was seen earlier this year,” Quillian told KLCC. “But because we were able to take these samples, that is hopefully going to be very helpful.”

Quillian said the ODFW has hair samples from some earlier sightings. The agency also took measurements and photographs of this wolverine. Quillian said wolverines have unique black and white patterning on their chest called a blaze, which is useful in identifying individuals.

The wolverine had no significant injuries from the trap or subsequent handling. Quillian said it was relocated to a more appropriate and safe location. As a federally threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, the ODFW will not share specifics about where the wolverine was captured or released.

Quillian said it’s been an “unprecedented year” for wolverine sightings in Oregon. If you come across a wolverine, she said, go ahead and take photos or video if you can do so without disturbing the animal. She emphasized not to chase it on foot or with your car, to observe from a distance, and let the animal continue on its journey. Wolverines are listed as a threatened species in Oregon and no hunting or trapping of them is allowed.

According to ODFW, there were several sightings of a wolverine last year along the Columbia River, in Damascus and in other parts of northwestern Oregon. Before those sightings, the most recent observation of a wolverine in Oregon was in 2022 in Wallowa County. Over the past two months, wolverine were found in Nehalem, Tillamook, Newport, Florence, Eugene and Canby.