Montana boosts reward in wolverine poaching case

Montana authorities are hoping that an increased reward will lead to the identification of the person who killed a protected wolverine – one of the state’s rare animals.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks announced last week that the wolverine carcass was discovered Nov. 10 on a U.S. Forest Service Road northwest of Wisdom.

The animal had been shot, skinned, and left to waste.

On Monday the Center for Biodiversity announced that it had helped the state increase the reward “for information leading to a successful prosecution” from $1,000 to $11,000.

“The wolverine was shot dead and skinned along a closed U.S. Forest Service road on the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest,” the Center for Biodiversity stated via social media. “Scientists estimate wolverine populations in the lower 48 may be fewer than 300 animals, making this death significant.”

The elusive mammals inhabit mostly remote, high-altitude terrain and encounters with humans are rare.