Wolverine spotted in California for the second time since they were thought to go extinct in 1922

A rare and native wolverine has been spotted in Northern California for the second time since they were thought to be extinct more than 100 years ago.

A photo of the animal was taken by Ryan Campbell in May as he enjoyed a day of skiing on Mammoth Mountain in Crowley, California.

While riding the gondola to the top of the mountain, a stranger in his car pointed to the animal in the snow below, “Is that a wolverine,” the person asked.

The sighting marks only the second time the animals have been seen since they disappeared from California in 1922 after hunters wiped out the population.

Wolverines are believed to have been the animals that ransacked the Donner Party’s camp, leading them to resort to cannibalism after getting stuck in the snow.

Wolverines are said to have been the animals that ransacked the Donner Party’s camp, leading them to resort to cannibalism after getting stuck in the snow

In the most recent incident, the group that saw the animal said they weren’t sure what they were looking at at first.

Campbell told SFGate the animal resembled ‘a small bear, except for the white markings, long tail and head’.

To be on the safe side, he pulled out his phone and grabbed the long-range shot.

However, the animal was quickly chased away by an incoming skier and took off.

“We saw him running to a nearby clump of trees. That’s when we noticed why it started running,” Campbell said. “A skier came down the slope and took the jump, probably never seen how close they were.”

The photo Campbell took shows the dark-colored animal on a slope, walking through the snow on all four legs.

The photo is only the second of its kind since the wolverine — a member of the mammal family that includes otters and badgers — vanished from California.

In 2008, a wolverine named “Buddy” moved from Idaho, some 600 miles away from the most recent sighting, to California.

The animal has been captured on camera several times over the years.

“He’s kind of transient,” Chris Stermer, an official with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, told SFGATE in 2008.

“He’s a lone wolverine looking for a mate he’ll probably never find,” Stermer said.

The most recent wolverine sighting occurred on Mammoth Mountain in Crowley, California

In 2008, a wolverine named “Buddy” moved from Idaho, some 600 miles away from the most recent sighting, to California. In the photo: Buddy the glutton

It is believed that there are only 400 wolverines in the US, spread across Idaho, Colorado, and Montana

The animals live five to 13 years, which is why officials say they don’t believe the California sighting is Buddy

SFGate e-mailed a photo of the animal from Mammoth Mountain to Stermer, seemingly confirming its species.

“I’m 99.9% sure there’s a wolverine in the picture, which is pretty exciting!” he wrote in an email exchange with the outlet.

“In fact, since last week, the department has received two videos showing what appears to be a wolverine from a distance, and one was taken by someone on a ski lift,” he continued.

It is believed that there are only 400 wolverines in the US, spread across Idaho, Colorado, and Montana.

The animals live five to 13 years, which is why officials say they don’t believe the California sighting is Buddy.

Wolverines were best known for their scavenging style and were reportedly responsible for eating up the Donner Party’s food supply.

The incident became one of the most famous cases along the California Trail after the group resorted to cannibalism to survive.