Conservationists have been encouraged by increased sightings of wolverines in Oregon.
According to KLCC, one was humanely caught in June on the Oregon coast while apparently hunting for Western snowy plovers.
The carnivore was captured in a padded foothold trap on a Coos County beach, allowing the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to acquire samples from the animal and then release it back into the wild.
Monitoring individual wolverines allows the ODFW to track the population, informing conservation efforts and establishing whether their survival status should be revised. At the moment, wolverines are considered a federally threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.
The encounter adds to sightings made in spring 2023, when "several" were seen along the Columbia River. Further reports of wolverines along the central coast and in the city of Eugene were also made in April and May.
"At this point, we don't have quite enough information to confirm whether or not it is the same individual that was seen earlier this year," the ODFW's Beth Quillian — who described the recent encounters as "unprecedented" — told KLCC. "But because we were able to take these samples, that is hopefully going to be very helpful."
Wolverines play an important role in the ecosystems in which they live by scavenging the food killed by bears and wolves, according to Animalia. Their urine also puts off snowshoe hares and black-tailed deer, stopping the overeating of flora. This can be beneficial for pollinators such as bees and birds that help grow around a third of the world's crops for human food supply.
But while it's important to let the ODFW know about sightings of wolverines — which can be identified by black and white patterns on their chests — it's key to keep your distance when observing them. Disturbing wolverines could scare them from feeding or breeding areas, which are essential for the survival of an animal that is already worryingly rare.
We can also play a role in the survival of wolverines by protecting nature. That could mean getting involved in climate activism and protesting against the development of new buildings and public spaces that would disrupt animal habitats.
"Maintaining natural areas and connectivity for animals to move across the landscape is vital to wildlife conservation," the ODFW said.
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