A fisher was recently captured on surveillance cameras at Cleveland Metroparks in Ohio, United States, marking the first sighting of this medium-sized creature in over a century. Cleveland Metroparks shared the footage on social media, expressing great excitement. These animals are native to North American forests and went extinct in Ohio during the mid-1800s. They are exclusive to Canada and the United States and have never been reported in Britain or other parts of Europe.
The Ohio Division of Wildlife confirmed that this recent sighting in Cleveland Metroparks is the first record in Cuyahoga County since the species disappeared in the 1800s. The fisher is classified as a ‘Species of Special Interest’ by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. The Ohio Division of Wildlife estimates that fishers were eradicated from Ohio by the mid-1800s due to unregulated harvesting and habitat loss.
This discovery is significant as it marks the documentation of another native Ohio mammal species that had been extinct in Cleveland Metroparks. The reappearance of fishers and other previously extinct species like otters, bobcats, and trumpeter swans highlights the success of conservation efforts and underscores the importance of healthy forests, wetlands, waterways, and natural areas in Cleveland Metroparks.
Although often called “fisher cats,” these animals are not felines but members of the weasel family. According to Scenic Hudson, fishers are solitary creatures and despite their name, they rarely consume fish. Their diet mainly consists of fruit, reptiles, amphibians, birds, bird eggs, mushrooms, squirrels, and other mammals.