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A wolverine who had spent time in Rocky Mountain National Park was killed by a North Dakota rancher last month The Coloradoan
Fort Collins wildlife photographer Ray Rafiti captured this image of a wolverine on June 26, 2009 in Rocky Mountain National Park. It was the first sighting of a wolverine in Colorado in 90 years. The image is the first, and to this day, only of a wolverine in Rocky Mountain National Park. The wolverine, known as M-56 was shot and killed last month at a ranch in South Dakota.(Photo: Courtesy of Ray Rafiti/Wild Faces Wild Places Photography)
The Fort Collins wildlife photographer who captured the only known images of a wolverine in Rocky Mountain National Park was saddened upon hearing recent news that the animal was shot and killed on a ranch in western North Dakota.
The wolverine reportedly repeatedly harassed<span style="color: Red;">*</span>cattle<span style="color: Red;">*</span>on the ranch.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>An investigation determined the shooting was justifiable under North Dakota law that allows ranchers to use lethal measures to protect their livestock.
The North Dakota<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Game and Fish Department confirmed the wolverine's identity, M-56, and past whereabouts after finding an implanted radio tracking device in the animal's abdomen, according to the Associated Press.
"Photographing him really is a highlight of my career.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>I'd spent so much time in Rocky Mountain National Park, so to see him in the park was a really connected experience,"<span style="color: Red;">*</span>said Ray Rafiti, the wildlife photographer who still is routinely asked to provide the photo to various outlets, including conservation organizations and wildlife biologists.
"On a personal level, I'm very<span style="color: Red;">*</span>disappointed and sad," said Rafiti, a wildlife photographer for more than 30 years who formerly wrote a column for the Coloradoan's outdoor Xplore section.
On Monday, Rafiti posted on his photography Facebook page,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Wild Faces Wild Places, one<span style="color: Red;">*</span>of his photos of the wolverine, along with a photo the North Dakota rancher who shot the wolverine posted to his own page.
"Very sad ending to a majestic and historic visitor to our state," Rafiti wrote.
Rafiti said he's reached out to the North Dakota rancher<span style="color: Red;">*</span>but as of Wednesday morning hadn't heard back from him.
M-56 was North Dakota's first confirmed wolverine in more than a century. When Rafiti captured his photo of M-56 in 2009, it was the first time a wolverine had been<span style="color: Red;">*</span>confirmed in<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Rocky Mountain National Park in 90 years.
M-56<span style="color: Red;">*</span>was first tracked by scientists in 2008 when captured south of Wyoming's Yellowstone National Park. Researchers tracked the young male for more than 500 miles, where it then took up residence in Rocky Mountain National Park.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>The tracker showed M-56's last known location<span style="color: Red;">*</span>was in Colorado<span style="color: Red;">*</span>in 2012. The device's battery likely gave out after that.
The wolverine was killed on a ranch near Alexander, North Dakota, more than 700 miles from Rocky Mountain National Park.
[h=2]How Rafiti's image happened[/h]Rafiti and friends<span style="color: Red;">*</span>James Cotter and Jessica Swan were searching for wildflowers near Rocky Mountain National Park's<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Forest Canyon Overlook not far from a well-traveled Trail Ridge Road on June 26, 2009.
About 7:30 p.m.,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Rafiti saw an elk bedded down in a tundra bowl off<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Rainbow Curve<span style="color: Red;">*</span>above<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Hidden Valley Snow Play Area. He walked to the bowl, where he was joined by his friends. While photographing the elk, the bull became startled, stood up abruptly and began prancing, a clear indication of being spooked.
From the shadows of the forest emerged what Rafiti told the Coloradoan in 2009<span style="color: Red;">*</span>he first believed to be a bear cub, until he noticed the animal was too agile to be a clumsy cub.
Once it emerged from the shadows, Rafiti was certain he saw one of North America's rarest mammals; there are an estimated 200 wolverines in the Lower 48 states, mostly in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.
The wolverine then sprinted uphill and over a ridge, leaving Rafiti and his friends<span style="color: Red;">*</span>with an estimated two to three minutes of viewing and Rafiti with 24 images on his Canon Mark III camera.
An anxious Rafiti raced to his Fort Collins home to determine the quality of his images. After transferring his images from the memory card to his computer, he knew for certain the animal was a wolverine.
Rafiti said he's almost "100 percent" certain he spotted<span style="color: Red;">*</span>M-56 a couple years ago near Mount Evans. He feels confident the animal he saw scampering across the hillside was a wolverine because fellow photographer<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Cameron Miller produced an image of M-56 in the area around the same time.
Rafiti said he's disappointed about M-56 being shot from a broader perspective regarding the wolverine's lack of protection under the<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Endangered Species Act.
Fort Collins wildlife photographer Ray Rafiti captured this image of a wolverine on June 26, 2009 in Rocky Mountain National Park. It was the first sighting of a wolverine in Colorado in 90 years. The image is the first, and to this day, only of a wolverine in Rocky Mountain National Park. The wolverine, known as M-56 was shot and killed last month at a ranch in South Dakota.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Courtesy of Ray Rafiti/Wild Faces Wild Places Photography)
"It's a really sad thing. I hope we can do more good on behalf of the wolverines," he said.
In 2014, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declined<span style="color: Red;">*</span>to list wolverines under the Endangered Species Act, citing a lack of data on how predicted climate-driven loss of spring snowpack will impact wolverines. A federal judge recently ruled in favor of environmental groups who sued, ordering the agency to re-evaluate its decision.
Resembling a small bear, wolverines are solitary animals that<span style="color: Red;">*</span>need a lot of room to roam. They may travel 15 miles a day in search of food. Young males often travel hundreds of miles in search of a<span style="color: Red;">*</span>mate. They're also known for their ferociousness, bringing down deer, elk and even moose.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>
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