DNRE Confirms Death of Michigan’s Only Known Wild Wolverine

Michigan’s only known wild wolverine has died.

A female wolverine, first spotted in the Thumb in Feb. 24, 2004,
was

found dead by hikers at the Minden Bog in the Minden City State
Game

Area Saturday.

Todd Rann of Marysville and Morgan Graham of New Baltimore
spotted what

they thought was a dead beaver, partially submerged in the water
near a

beaver dam. Rann pulled it from the water and realized it was
a

wolverine. The pair called the Report All Poaching hot line.
Department

of Natural Resources and Environment Conservation Officers Seth
Rhodea

and Bob Hobkirk responded immediately and retrieved the
animal.

The officers reported no visible signs of trauma.

DNRE wildlife biologist Arnie Karr, who originally verified the
animal

was a wolverine after it was treed by coyote hunters in 2004,
said the

carcass will be sent to the DNRE veterinary lab for necropsy.
The

department plans to have the specimen mounted and displayed,
probably at

the visitor center at nearby Bay City State Recreation Area.,
Karr

said.

The animal was the first wolverine ever actually verified in
Michigan.

Biologists say that if wolverines were ever native to Michigan,
they

were extirpated about 200 years ago.

At the time of the wolverine’s sighting, DNRE Director
Rebecca

Humphries signed an emergency order protecting the animal
from

harassment or harm. The animal, which has been seen,
photographed and

videoed by numerous people since it was discovered, was thought
to be

alive and well until it was discovered dead Saturday.