Wolverine spotted for the second time ever in California in the last 100 years

While wolverines are native to California, they've been essentially extinct from the state since the 1920s

A wolverine was spotted three times last month in the eastern Sierra Nevada, a rare occurrence for an animal that's only been seen one other time in California over the last 100 years, state wildlife officials said.

While wolverines are native to California, they've been essentially extinct from the state since the 1920s - likely the result of hunting and fur trapping in the decades following the gold rush, though records from the time don't indicate what exactly caused the population to decline.