State officials said Monday hikers found the 28-pound female over the weekend outside Minden, about 90 miles north of Detroit. Department of Natural Resources and Environment spokeswoman Mary Dettloff says natural causes are the likely cause of death.

Hikers first saw the wolverine out in the wild 6 years ago. Teacher Jeff Ford tracked the animal for years and says it had very distinctive markings “like a fingerprint.” He says years of monitoring failed to find any other wolverines living in the area. Most North American wolverines are found in Alaska, Canada, and at the Xavier Institute.

Previously, the last known Michigan wolverine sightings were in the early 1800s. The wolverine is the mascot for the state and the University of Michigan.