A rare and elusive creature, the fisher, has been spotted in an Ohio county for the first time since the 1800s, marking a significant conservation achievement. This exciting development is the result of dedicated efforts to restore native mammal species in the region. The sighting, captured by trail cameras in Cleveland Metroparks, was confirmed by the Ohio Division of Wildlife, indicating the fisher's successful reintroduction to Cuyahoga County. The species was previously extirpated from the state due to habitat loss and unregulated harvesting in the mid-1800s. Since the first sighting in 2013, there have been at least 40 other observations in multiple counties, but this is the first verified sighting in Cuyahoga County. The return of the fisher and other extirpated species like otters, bobcats, and trumpeter swans highlights the importance of conservation efforts and the restoration of healthy forests, wetlands, and natural areas in Cleveland Metroparks. The fisher's comeback is also evident in neighboring Pennsylvania, where it disappeared around the nineteenth century. The current population is a result of natural expansion from other states in the 1970s and reintroduction programs in the 1990s.
