Two wolverines in were recently spotted in northwestern Wyoming by a team of Wyoming Game and Fish Department researchers, who say the rare sightings are a significant boost to the three-year monitoring initiative studying wolverine distribution in the Bighorn Mountains and Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

According to Game and Fish, the wolverines’ images were captured earlier this year on trail cameras which are placed in remote locations and checked every month or two. One of the pair, an 11-year-old female, is well-known to researchers. She was first collared as a juvenile in Montana, captured on a trail camera in Wyoming in 2014 and now again in 2017. This female was identified by her very distinctive markings. The other wolverine is an unknown adult.

“These latest images build on our knowledge of wolverines in Wyoming, and the observations fall within expected wolverine habitat,” said Zack Walker, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s non-game bird and mammal supervisor.

You can learn more about the program here:

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