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(CNN) - When a woman told a wildlife official that she believed she had seen a glutton on the beach on the Long Beach Peninsula in Washington state, they did not believe her.
The elusive creatures live in remote mountain areas and any sightings, and much more on a beach, are rare, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).
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Then he showed them a photo. In the May 23 capture, a furry animal with distinctive markings appears to be eating the carcass of a land-based marine animal.
Jeff Lewis, a WDFW mesocarnivorous conservation biologist, told CNN about the encounter and confirmed that the animal was indeed a glutton.
According to WDFW, there are only about 20 of these mammals in the entire state. They generally roam the remote mountainous areas of the North Cascades, not the sandy beach.
"This is out of the way for gluttons," said Lewis. "It is not close to the habitats they are usually in."
A glutton walking on the snow.
The mysterious glutton is the largest land member of the weasel family and may resemble a small bear with a bushy tail. The animal is robust with short, rounded ears, small eyes, and large legs that are useful for traveling through snow, according to WDFW.
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Scientists believe there are only 300 specimens of this species left in the United States, according to the Center for Biological Diversity, a nonprofit organization for animal conservation. Due to the capture and loss of habitat, the glutton population has decreased dramatically, according to the center.
"It is special and noteworthy," Lewis said of the sighting. “Before, we had to believe in the word of the people. It is now easier to document this as everyone has a phone and a camera. ”
A glutton was sighted on May 20 in Naselle, also in Washington state.