FISH OUT OF WATER

Wolverine Checks Out the Beach in Washington, Stuns Wildlife Experts

The few wolverines left seldom leave their alpine habitats, so one soaking up some oceanside rays on Memorial Day was a peculiar sight.

A wolverine in Washington getting a tan on Memorial Day has stumped local wildlife experts. A photo snapped by Jennifer Henry along the state’s Long Beach Peninsula May 23 while riding her bike showed a wolverine poking its head up from a carcass that had washed ashore. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) confirmed the authenticity of the picture. Another photo showed the same wolverine nearby. Henry told the Chinook Observer that she reported the sighting to a WDFW officer nearby: “I asked, ‘Is it common to see wolverines here on the peninsula?’ and he was like, ‘You didn’t see a wolverine.’” The ferocious members of the weasel family are severely endangered, with only 300 living in the wild in the United States and just 20 in Washington. They typically inhabit alpine forests or tundras, according to the WDFW, and seeing one at all is rare. “This is way outside the beaten path for the wolverines,” WDFW biologist Jeff Lewis told CNN. “It’s not near the habitats they are usually at.”