YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has confirmed multiple sightings of what is believed to be the same wolverine in several California counties.

Officials say two sightings were in the Inyo National Forest and Mono counties and a third sighting occurred in Yosemite National Park.

Images and video of the wolverine, taken in May by separate individuals in different locations, were sent to CDFW for analysis, where they say scientists identified the animal as a wolverine by its size, body proportion, coloration, and movement patterns. 

“Wolverines can travel great distances, making it likely that the recent sightings are all of the same animal,” said CDFW Senior Environmental Scientist Daniel Gammons. “Because only two wolverines have been confirmed in California during the last 100 years, these latest detections are exciting.”

Scientists say they documented a single wolverine in California from 2008 to 2018. Prior to that, the last confirmed wolverine sightings in California were in the 1920s.