LANE COUNTY, Ore. — Another Oregon wolverine sighting has been caught on camera. The creature was seen crossing Highway 20 east of Santiam Pass last week, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
ODFW Deschutes District staff confirmed finding tracks near the video location on the day of the sighting. ODFW was unable to confirm if this is the same wolverine previously spotted outside of Portland.
"Based on timing, locations of the verified sightings and the trajectory of travel, it is possible that these sightings are of the same individual wolverine though it cannot be confirmed," the agency said in a statement. "Long-distance dispersal or 'exploratory' movements are not irregular for a wolverine during this time of year."
This wolverine is probably making its way to a new area where it can survive and find a mate, ODFW said. Wolverines like mountain habitats with trees and dense snowpack, but young ones often travel long distances to establish new territory.
A wolverine was initially spotted on March 20 at McGuire Island near Portland, marking the first local sighting of one of the creatures in more than 30 years, according to biologists.
Two days later there was a second reported sighting near Damascus. ODFW posted a video of the second, describing the "bushy tail, blackish-brown coat and pale brown stripe" along the side of the creature in the video as telltale markers of a wolverine.
The creature was later spotted a third time toward the end of March, wandering around in a wooded area near Colton. Colton resident Nina Baurer captured footage of what appeared to be a wolverine on video and shared clips with KGW and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The two clips show the wolverine wandering around the woods, then dashing off away from the trail camera that picked up its movement.
Baurer also sent in pictures of what appear to be wolverine tracks in the light layer of snow that was on the ground in the area.
Wolverines are part of the weasel family and resemble badgers or small bears. Despite their reputation for ferocity, there is no documented evidence of them attacking people, according to Dave Keiter, a biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Wolverine sightings in Oregon are rare outside of the Wallowa Mountains. The initial photos of the wolverine on McGuire Island were described as the first confirmed Portland-area sighting in about 30 years.
Wolverines have only small populations in the lower 48 states, and are more commonly found in Alaska and Canada, according to Keiter.