Rare, threatened wolverine still on the move, caught on video crossing Highway 20 near Santiam Pass

(Update: Adding video, interview with ODFW biologist)

ODFW received video last week, confirmed tracks in area; believed to be same animal

SISTERS, Ore. (KTVZ) – A rare, threatened wolverine spotted by the Columbia River near Portland last month – the first confirmed sighting outside the Wallowa Mountains in three decades – was caught on video last week, crossing U.S. Highway 20 east of Santiam Pass, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife confirmed Thursday.

"ODFW did confirm the sighting of a wolverine outside of Sisters last week through a video that was submitted to us," Beth Quillian, a communications coordinator with ODFW in Salem, told NewsChannel 21 after we inquired about reports of a possible wolverine sighting near Hoodoo Ski Area or Suttle Lake.

She later said the video was taken last Thursday on Highway 20 east of Santiam Pass, and it was released to the public later in the day.

The phone video shows the small animal scampering down a hillside, kicking up some snow and ice before crossing the two-lane highway and pausing for just a moment before heading off into the woods. An approaching semi truck never put it in danger.

"ODFW Deschutes District staff confirmed tracks near the video location on the day of the sighting," Quillian added.

Quillian said ODFW hasn't been able to confirm if it was a male or female wolverine.

Over the last month, there have been several wolverine sighting reports submitted to ODFW and Cascadia Wild, a nonprofit conducting community science wildlife surveys for wolverine on Mt. Hood. 

The first report was made on March 20 by two people fishing on the Columbia River who took photos of a wolverine on the bank of McGuire Island. Additional sightings were confirmed in Damascus, Oregon City and Colton over the next several days.  

"While we can’t conclusively identify the wolverine sighted from the Columbia River (by anglers on March 20) to the Cascades as the same individual, biologists believe based on timing, locations of verified sightings and the trajectory of travel that it is likely the same wolverine," Quillian told NewsChannel 21 by email.

In a later news release, ODFW was a bit more cautious, saying " it is possible that these sightings are of the same individual wolverine, though it cannot be confirmed.

"The initial sighting along the Columbia River last month was the first confirmed report of a wolverine outside of the Wallowa Mountains in over 30 years.

Long-distance dispersal or "exploratory" movements are not irregular for a wolverine during this time of year, and they can travel well over 30 miles in a day, ODFW said.

Based on the location, ODFW said this wolverine is likely dispersing to a new area, where it can survive and hopefully reproduce. Wolverines need high‐elevation habitat (alpine areas with dense snowpack), but young wolverine often disperse long distances to establish new territory.   

Wolverine are rare in Oregon, and these sightings are significant to wildlife conservation. The initial sighting along the Columbia River last month was the first confirmed report of a wolverine outside of the Wallowa Mountains in over 30 years.

The last documented wolverine in the Central Cascades was killed in 1969 by a trapper near Broken Top Mountain. Wolverine is listed as a state threatened species in Oregon, and no hunting or trapping of wolverine is allowed.   

Although ODFW occasionally receives reports of wolverine, it says that "it can be difficult to confirm a sighting without documentation or tracks." If you see something, you're asked to share it with ODFW on iNaturalist, an app/website that helps biologists track individual sightings of wildlife like wolverine.