Wolverines Return to Mount Rainier National Park After 100-Year Absence

Wolverines have returned to Mount Rainier National Park for the first time in 100 years, the National Park Service (NPS) said.

Scientists with the National Park Service (NPS) said they discovered the a female wolverine and two offspring, called kits, roaming Mount Rainier National Park.

Scientists installed cameras throughout the park after confirmed sightings of the animals in areas surrounding the park, the NPS said. The cameras are designed to identify individual wolverines based on their chest blazes, which are unique to each wolverine.

Wolverines are extremely rare in the United States. In North America, their population ranges from 6.2 wolverines per 600 square miles in high-quality habitat, while there are estimated to only be 300 to 1,000 in the lower 48 US states, the NPS said. Credit: Mount Rainier National Park via Storyful