PORTLAND, Ore. — A wolverine was spotted on McGuire Island near Portland on Monday, marking the first local sighting of one of the creatures in more than 30 years, according to biologists.
Wolverines are mostly found in Canada and Alaska, with much smaller populations in the lower 48 states, according to Dave Keiter, a biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Every previous sighting in Oregon over the past three decades has been in the Wallowa Mountains — but it's not unheard of for wolverines to roam.
"These animals can travel a great distance, especially when they are dispersing, which is moving from their natal area to potentially setting up a new territory and finding a mate elsewhere," Keiter said.
Wolverines can swim, and Keiter said he thinks this particular wolverine likely swam to the mainland and then traveled thirteen miles to Damascus, where there was another reported sighting on Wednesday. Keiter said chances are there's just one wolverine in the area.
"Our state worked with a number of partners from 2020 to 2022 for a major survey effort throughout the Cascade Mountains and Eastern Oregon, and we only detected wolverines in the Wallowa Mountains," Keiter said.
Wolverines are part of the weasel family and resemble badgers or small bears. They're carnivorous, but Keiter said Portlanders shouldn't have to worry about the animal posing a danger to residents.
"There's not documented evidence of wolverines attacking people," Keiter said. "In the right situation any animal could be dangerous, so we always recommend people give animals their space and observe respectfully."
Keiter said a wolverine would typically stand a better chance of surviving in a higher elevation area that has a high prey base.