Trail Camera Captures Elusive ‘Fisher’ in Ohio County for First Time Since 1800s

A trail camera captured rare footage of a “fisher” in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, marking the first confirmed sighting of the elusive species in the area since the 1800s.

Cleveland Metroparks shared the footage of the fisher in an Instagram post on Saturday. The Ohio Division of Wildlife confirmed that this is the first verified sighting in Cuyahoga County since the species became extinct in the state over a century ago.

Cleveland Metroparks says fishers were likely extirpated locally in Ohio in the mid-1800s due to unregulated hunting and habitat loss. According to CBS News, the first modern-day sighting of a fisher in Ohio was recorded in 2013. Since then, there have been over 40 sightings across eight counties between 2013 and 2024. However, this is the first confirmed sighting of the animal in Cuyahoga County.

“This is tremendously exciting, as this is yet another extirpated native Ohio mammal species to be documented for the first time in Cleveland Metroparks,” wildlife ecologist Jonathon Cepek says in the Instagram post. “The return of fishers and other extirpated species like otters, bobcats and trumpeter swans are a result of conservation efforts and emphasize the importance of our healthy forests, wetlands, waterways and natural areas in Cleveland Metroparks.”

Part of the mustelid family, fishers are weasel-like predators that can sometimes be mistaken for mink or river otters. They were thought to have disappeared from the area more than 200 years ago. Fishers typically range from two to four feet in length, with roughly half of that being their bushy tail, and are about the size of a large house cat.

Fishers hunt small mammals, including rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, and mice, as well as reptiles and occasionally outdoor cats. They rely on a keen sense of smell to locate prey and are known for their unique ability to hunt porcupines. Despite the porcupine’s quills, fishers can successfully attack vulnerable areas such as the head and face.

Previously, PetaPixel reported on how a trail camera filmed images of an elusive “fisher” in Pennsylvania, an animal that was believed to be extinct in the state.

Image credits: All photos via Cleveland Metroparks.