In 2024, the largest fisher cat ever recorded in Ohio was found as roadkill — a landmark moment in the mammal’s remarkable return. Now, researchers are learning more about the animal and its spread to the Buckeye State. The fisher, which has been virtually nonexistent in Ohio for 200 years, is making a recovery thanks to expanding biodiversity in the region.
“I think it’s great that we’re starting to see them more and more and get more reports of them in Ohio,” Laurie Brown, a wildlife research technician with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Wildlife, told the Akron Beacon Journal upon multiple sightings of the animal in 2024.
Brown mentioned that an uptick in sightings in Ohio means that the population of fishers is growing and migrating. The cat mostly lives in southern Canada, areas in New England, New York, and in some scattered locations across Pennsylvania and the Virginias. Ohio is the farthest west they have been sighted.
Now, researchers have determined more characteristics about the fisher roadkill found in Ohio. Brian Plasters, the communications manager at the Division of Wildlife, told the Beacon Journal that the animal was a male weighing a whopping 13 pounds.
The captivating animal is of the river otter and weasel family, yet it is cat-sized. Experts further believe that the return of fishers in the state follows other successful recoveries of wildlife, such as bald eagles, wild turkeys, and river otters. With the habitat improving its ecosystem, the return of the fisher is following suit.
Vermont’s Fish and Wildlife Department explained that the mammals’ disappearance was a result of deforestation, European settlement, and unregulated trapping in the 1800s, as fishers were historically caught for their valuable fur.
The ODNR Division of Wildlife collects roadkill fishers found in the state so that researchers can determine their age and test genetics. Biologists will also be able to determine the health of the fisher, its diet, and see if the animal is pregnant or breeding. All of these factors will help the animal’s population to expand.
If one spots a fisher in Ohio, alive or otherwise, it’s important to report your sighting to the Division of Wildlife. This helps researchers monitor and keep track of the fisher population. This way, they will be able to evaluate how healthy their ecosystem is and what needs to be done to further support the elusive animal.
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