Wolverine spotted in rare sightings near Portland, Oregon

A wolverine was spotted making its way through Oregon suburbs this week, marking the first time the species was seen outside the Wallowa Mountains in more than three decades.

The quickhatch was first sighted by a couple fishing along the Columbia River near Portland Monday — over 250 miles from where it’s known to reside, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife said.

The anglers snapped some images of the giant weasel before it scurried away, and wildlife biologists verified the sighting after discovering a set of tracks along the river bank.

Two days later, the wolverine’s fuzzy black tail was seen again through the brush alongside a road in Damascus.

“Given the proximity to Portland, we were very surprised when this report came in and elated when we were able to verify the sighting,” ODFW District Wildlife Biologist Dave Keiter said in a statement.

State biologists believe the glutton — which can cover 30 miles per day — is likely passing through Portland to find a suitable, high-quality habitat.

Wolverines have rarely been seen in Oregon throughout the last century, according to ODFW.

The animals — which are commonly found at high elevations and associated with snowpack — were originally thought to have been pushed out of Oregon by 1936.

Witnesses reported occasional wolverine sightings throughout the following decades but they were difficult to verify.

A wolverine hit by a car in 1990 near the city of Cascade Locks, about 40 miles east of Portland, confirmed the species was still stealthily living in the area.

Between then and Monday, wolverines had only been found in the Wallowa Mountain area of the state.

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