Back in February of this year I told you about the rarest mammal in the Sierra Nevada. That title belongs to Buddy, quite probably the only wolverine in the entire Sierra Nevada. The evidence, over last winter, was a blurry black and white photo of him walking through the snow.
Well, Buddy is back, and as you can see he has a new publicist with a better camera. He is climbing this tree to get at a sock filled with bait.
You won’t see Buddy during your John Muir Trail hike; his territory is north of Truckee, just west of our new home near Verdi, Nevada. According to this article in the Sierra Sun, that territory covers nearly 300 square miles. If he is looking for a mate, he is very likely to be disappointed.
He is also big on social media, and you can see a video of him climbing a tree here.
The typical life expectancy for a wolverine is less than ten years, and Buddy appears to be around nine. Sadly, it is likely that the Sierra Nevada will be wolverine-free again in the not too distant future.
Good hiking, Ray
Hi Ray,
We’ve got a small population of wolverines here in NE Oregon and I was lucky enough to see one a few years ago. I’ve seen badger, cougar, bobcat, wolves, grizzly etc. but the wolverine was the most exciting sighting of my life. I wonder it CA Fish and Game has considered relocating some to establish them in the Sierra, like they did with bighorn sheep.
fred
I did a little research on these critters when I did the first post and their reputation for ferociousness is apparently undeserved. I’d love to have them back in the Sierra Nevada. Thanks for the comment, Fred.