More evidence of rare wolverine in Tahoe

A dditional signs of wolverines in the Tahoe National Forest have turned up this week despite a common belief that the critter had all but disappeared from the northern Sierra.

Two additional wolverine photographs were captured this week, and various hair, track and scat samples were sent to a lab for analysis, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

The search for wolverines has intensified since a remote camera spotted one on Feb. 28 north of Truckee. It was the first scientific confirmation of the animal since the 1920s.

"It has been a wonderful experience working with crews from many different agencies," said Katie Moriarty, the Oregon State University graduate student who took the first photo of the wolverine. "Work has been extremely demanding."

A 150-square-mile grid with remote cameras was set up and monitored, and dogs were used to search the area. Even flights were conducted to detect radio signals from wolverines that had been outfitted with transmitters from studies in Montana.

The crews included workers from the California Department of Fish and Game, U.S. Forest Service, Tahoe National Forest, the Pacific Southwest Research Station and Oregon State University.

"It's too early to say how this will affect the national forest," said Tom Quinn, Tahoe National Forest Supervisor. Quinn said foresters have received many emails and phone calls in the past two weeks, as well as photos of supposed wolverines. The photos turned out to be of other species, however.