Wolverines are notoriously reclusive creatures in the state of Utah, with only eight confirmed sightings over the last 40 years or so, per Smithsonian. Utah's wolverines, though, might be about to give up their secrets, thanks to the first-ever capture of one of the animals there. State wildlife officials announced they trapped one that had been spotted from an aircraft as it was feeding on a sheep carcass. "It's amazing to get a chance to see a wolverine in the wild, let alone catch one," says Division of Wildlife Resources official Jim Christensen says in a statement. "This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience."
After an examination, wildlife officials fitted the approximately 4-year-old animal with a GPS collar so they can track its movements. Despite their name, wolverines are in the weasel and otter family and known as ferocious carnivores, notes NBC News, which likens their appearance to that of young bears. "They're a small animal, but they have the ability to take down animals much bigger than they are," the state's Mike Hadley tells KABC. "Now, with that collar on it, we will know exactly where it's moving and when, where during different times of the year it's moving, and how far does it go when it moves." (More Utah stories.)
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