Wolverines are not incredibly rare animals across the world. There are an estimated 9200 wolverines in the Yukon, British Columbia and Manitoba, and across Canada an estimate puts their population around 15,000 to 19,000. But there’s only somewhere between 25 to 300 wolverines in the lower 48 United sates.
In Utah specifically, there have been only eight confirmed sightings since 1979. So for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources to successfully capture, collar and release one of these animals is pretty impressive, especially when you consider that they can run at speeds up to 30 miles per hour. The animal’s impressive speed was captured on camera as the Utah DWR chased in down by helicopter.
😲 Covered 214 miles.
— UtahDWR (@UtahDWR) March 16, 2023
😲 Migrated an average of .43 miles each hour. (Although on some occasions, it covered up to 3 miles in an hour — as the crow flies — in areas with over five feet of snow!)
😲 Crossed from one side of the Uintas to the other four different times. pic.twitter.com/W4SlvqftvJ
The  North American wolverine population in the contiguous U.S. was officially listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in 2023, providing federal protection to the rare and fascinating animal.