In a first for Utah, which has had eight confirmed sightings of wolverines since 1979, wildlife officials captured one of the elusive animals, examined it and placed a GPS collar around its neck before relocating it in what is an incredible success story.
“It’s amazing to get a chance to see a wolverine in the wild, let alone catch one,” said Jim Christensen, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Northern Region Wildlife Manager. “This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
According to the Utah DWR, the effort began March 10 when personnel from USDA-Wildlife Services conducting livestock protection work from a plane spotted a wolverine feeding on a dead sheep, one of 18 sheep that had been killed or wounded that morning in the area 6 miles west of Randolph.
