This animal, which looks very much like a wolverine, was photographed by Dave Pinkernell and his wife, Dr. Carrie Burhenn, earlier this week along Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park.
While National Park Service officials have been talking with Colorado officials about possibly collaborating on a wolverine recovery program in the Centennial State, wolverines don't seem to be waiting around for any assistance.
Dave Pinkernell captured the accompanying picture this past Tuesday along Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park about 1 mile inside the Estes Park entrance.
"I was able to snap a picture in the rain and low light. Our best guess is this an immature wolverine," said Mr. Pinkernell, who along with his wife, Dr. Carrie Burhenn, have been vacationing in the park from Washougal, Washington. "There were two of them walking along the highway, looking rather wet and confused. Luckily they safely crossed the road."
Last summer a wildlife photographer, Ray Rafitti, captured a shot of a wolverine in the park.
"It was the first documented wolverine in the park since it was established in 1915," Rocky Mountain spokeswoman Kyle Patterson recalled Thursday. "While we continue to receive reports of wolverines (sometimes with photos) many turn out to be badgers or marmots. Sometimes when something like that has been in the news (like wolves) our number of reports increases. The rare report, where a wolverine sighting seems likely, appears to occur in our vast alpine/near-alpine areas."
Where that particular wolverine came from is not a mystery. Earlier in 2009 it was radio-collared for research purposes (the Greater Yellowstone Wolverine Program) in the Yellowstone ecosystem. This wolverine managed to travel around 500 miles into northern Colorado over a period of several months. Wolverines are fast-moving, notorious wanderers, but they are also reclusive and don’t like to be around people.
That desire for solitude makes this summer's sightings more than a little unusual. A number of Traveler readers have mentioned sightings similar to the one by Mr. Pinkernell and Dr. Burhenn: One reported spotting a wolverine-looking creature in Estes Park, another spotted one on Flattop Mountain in the park, another by the gate of the Moraine campground, and yet another reported seeing an animal that looked like a wolverine while heading down the Bowen Gulch Trail in the Never Summer Wilderness just west of the national park.
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Comments
Check out the claws on this guy!
I saw what looked to be a wolverine while hiking in Lory State Park outside of Fort Collins last August. I reported it to the Ranger's. Their 'mammal expert' told me that I was mistaken because wolverine's had not been seen in Colorado since the 60's .. they suggested I saw a PIne Martin. I know what Pine Martins look like and this wasn't one. Glad to see the documentation! I have a friend who tour guides in the San Juans, he also saw a Wolverine and was told by the Forest Service that he was mistaken. Hmmmm... maybe they are more widespread in Colorado than the 'experts' think or choose to believe! Really appreciate the post.
I was backpacking in the San Juans with 3 friends in early jJune 1978 or 79. We were all very knwoledgeable about wildlife and we spotted a wolverine at the top of Endlich mesa above Durango Reservoir. It was a particulrly heavy snow year and it took us 2 days to get to this area that typcially takes an hour and half. Needless to say, we were the frist ones in that year. When we returned from our trip, I called the DOW and asked if they had ever received reports of sightings of wolverines in that area and they said yes, they had actually received several reportings over the years. I told him that we also saw a wolverine and that I'd like to log the report with them (I have no idea what they actually do with this data). Very was a very memorable experience that is still vivid in my mind.
There ARE wolverines in Colorado. I saw one in November of 2011. He was on County Road G about 7 miles west of the Rio Grande River. it was about 9:30 at night. He was not at all afraid of me or the headlights of my car. I kept edging up to him until eventually being only a few ( maybe three ) feet away from him. At first,from a distance of a quarter of a mile away, I assumed it was a baby bear cub. I contacted the Wolverine Foundation. They told me it could not have been. BUT. the man with whom I spoke ( Copely ) was sitting in his research tower in Utah and not out and about. I researched for several months and determined that it was indeed a wolverine. The Rocky Mts are about 50 miles east of where he was headed. I found out from senior citizens who were born here ...in Conejos County...that it is a fact wolverines are seen here randomly ... occasionally. It gets very cold here. Sub zero temps are not rare...in the winter months. So, don't necessarily believe the " experts ". They get paid to sit in their ivory towers and speculate .
That's a badger - a very muddy, 'just got done digging up some rodent' badger.............note the very long pigeon-toed claws - note the short legs.
Sorry, but this is not a wolverine. It is a very wet young badger. Keep looking though and you might get lucky like Mr. Rafitti. What he saw and photographed was indeed a wolverine.
I agree, this is a very muddy badger. The claws are too long and thick, the head a little too broad, and the ears a little off to fit a wolverine. I had to study it for a bit with the mud covering all the easy markings, but the claws are what really tipped me off. Wolverines have semi-retractable claws and are hooked like a cat's, not long and knife-like like a badger's.
Still a cool, unique picture though!
Nice. Seems like I wouldn't want to be too close to one. He looks like he is hungry or angry.
BADGER!!!! sorry, keep looking
This does look like a muddy badger. One of the photos I captured last summer can be found on my site (www.rayrafiti.com--->galleries--->small mammals).
I saw a wolverine up on Fox mountain by South Fork in October 1995, about 2/3rds of the way up to the end of the road. It was scootin across the road fairly quick into a rock slide near the road where a bunch of marmots hang out. DOW denied it just like the grey wolf sighting up by millions reservoir 3 years later. Seems if they dont get a ' visual' they think it doesnt exist. The same year as the wolf sighting we saw a lynx at millions also, again denied by DOW. I know they cant be everywhere, but give us who have been outdoors all our lives some credit. They are NOT the only one's who can identify wildlife!
While backpacking in the winter of 1973 and again in 1974 by Fern Lake late in the evening both winters we encountered an animal outside our camp site that very much sounded like a wolverine growling. At the time I never thought that wolverines were still in Colorado. Had seen them a couple of times in Glacier and Banff. I wouldn’t be surprised if wolverines existed in the park all along without anyone really knowing they were there. Sure as heck wasn’t a badger or pine martin.
A search of wolverine and badger tracks indicates it is a badger. I have seen many wolverine tracks in Alaska and the claw marks do not stand out as with a badger. In 18 years of travel in the wilderness I think I only saw two wolverine including one in a tree.
Spotted a woverine on October 18th, 2018 in Acadia National park while hiking on the Schoodic Peninsula. The animal was walking toward us on the trail and when aprox. 30 feet from us it moved slowly into the thicket. Estimated weight was about 30 lbs.
was sure I saw one this year - was hiking down from Snow Lake towards Americana Lakes and came up behind one - yah it was 30 or 40 yards away but I've read my share of ID guides and coulda sworn it was a wolverine. State parks biologist (super nice) suggested it was maybe a golden marmot. Well my eyes ain't what they once were but I've sen lotsa marmots. WHo knows...