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Wolverine photographed in Sierra Nevada likely not a California native
By Tom Knudson - tknudson@sacbee.com
Last Updated 2:34 pm PDT Thursday, April 3, 2008
Story appeared in MAIN NEWS section, Page A3
The wolverine whose image was captured by a graduate student's remote-controlled camera north of Truckee in February appears not to be a descendent of animals once known to inhabit the southern Sierra Nevada, according to preliminary DNA test results released Wednesday.
Instead, the animal may have wandered into the state, perhaps from the northern Rockies of Idaho. Or it may have escaped from captivity or been deliberately released by someone.
"We know a little more than we did a few weeks ago," said Bill Zielinski, a research ecologist with the U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Southwest Research Station. "To the best of our knowledge, it does not appear to be a California native."
The photograph set off a wave of excitement and speculation. Although unofficial sightings have trickled in over the decades, the last confirmed Sierra wolverine was shot as a scientific specimen in 1922.
Some scientists and outdoorsmen believe the southern Sierra wolverine, genetically distinct from northern wolverines, still exists in the rugged backcountry. But no one has been able to confirm it.
Last month, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service concluded that the wolverine – one of the rarest mammals in America – did not warrant listing as an endangered species because it is not genetically distinct from animals living in Canada.
As for the recently photographed Truckee wolverine, another possibility is that it is part of a group that may have lived discreetly in the high country north of town since before European settlement.
"It's unlikely but not impossible," said Katie Moriarty, the Oregon State University graduate student whose camera captured the historic photograph.
The DNA results released Wednesday by the Forest Service were obtained by analyzing hair and scat samples and comparing them with museum specimens. Besides not finding a southern Sierra link, they also ruled out a connection to wolverines in the northern Cascades.
They did disclose one basic fact that scientists found intriguing: The wolverine is a male – and male wolverines are known as wanderers.
"The fact that it's a male keeps alive the possibility this animal may have traveled here from elsewhere," Zielinski said, adding that results from a more sophisticated DNA test are expected to reveal additional information.
About the writer:
- Call The Bee's Tom Knudson, (530) 582-5336.
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