An elusive member of the weasel family known as fishers have continued their gradual return to Ohio, with one confirmed sighting near Cleveland for the first time in nearly two centuries.
A trail camera captured footage of a fisher earlier this year inside Cleveland Metroparks, marking the species’ first confirmed appearance in Cuyahoga County since the 1800s, park officials said.
The animal was identified by Andy Burmesch, the park system’s wildlife management coordinator.
Cleveland Metroparks announced the sighting in December 13 Instagram post that included video and photographs of the animal moving through a wooded area. The post drew tens of thousands of likes and hundreds of comments.
‘This is tremendously exciting, as this is yet another extirpated native Ohio mammal species to be documented for the first time in Cleveland Metroparks,’ the parks system said in the Instagram post.
Fisher cat
The term “fisher cat” is a common name for the fisher (Pekania pennanti), a carnivorous mammal native to North America and a member of the weasel family (Mustelidae) Despite the name, fishers are not cats and are not related to felines; they are more closely related to weasels, minks, martens, and otters The name “fisher cat” likely originated from early European settlers who noted a resemblance to the European polecat, known as a “fitch” or “fichet,” with “fisher” possibly derived from the Dutch “fisse” or “visse”
Fishers are not known to eat fish regularly, despite the name; their diet primarily consists of small mammals such as snowshoe hares and porcupines, as well as birds, insects, fruits, nuts, mushrooms, and carrion They are agile climbers with retractable claws and can leap up to 7 feet between trees, often hunting in forested areas with fallen logs and dense undergrowth
The species is sexually dimorphic, with males being significantly larger than females—males can weigh up to 20 pounds (9 kg) and measure up to 3 feet in length, including a tail that makes up about one-third of their total length Their fur is dark brown to black, dense, and glossy, especially in winter, and may appear grizzled in older individuals due to white-tipped hairs
Historically, fishers were trapped for their fur and became locally extinct in many areas, including Ohio, by the mid-1800s due to habitat loss and overhunting However, conservation efforts and reintroduction programs in neighboring states have led to a resurgence in their populations. In December 2025, a fisher was confirmed in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, marking the first sighting in the area in nearly 200 years, indicating a broader range expansion
Fishers are solitary, secretive, and primarily nocturnal, though they are active during both day and night They are known for their loud, screeching vocalizations, which can sound alarming and are sometimes mistaken for screams While they are occasionally reported to prey on small pets or livestock, scientific studies have found little evidence of this behavior; for example, a 1979 New Hampshire study found cat hairs in only one of over 1,000 stomach samples
In summary, the “fisher cat” is a misnomer—fishers are not cats, do not eat fish, and are actually shy, solitary predators playing an important ecological role in controlling rodent and porcupine populations
American Buddhist Net 