Utah wolverine sighting first documented in 30 years

State wildlife officials have captured images of a wolverine on the northern slope of the Uinta Mountains this year, the first documented sighting of the animal in Utah since a wolverine carcass was found in 1979.

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources said Wednesday that more than two dozen images from trail cameras show the animal sniffing an empty bait station in February. The cameras were not retrieved until June.

Biologist plan to compare the images with those taken of another wolverine in April by trail cameras stationed in Wyoming.

The elusive, snow-loving carnivores roam territories are large as 350 square miles.

Fewer than 300 wolverines are believed to occupy the lower 48 states, with larger numbers in Alaska and Canada.