An uncommon forest predator, the fisher, was recently captured on a trail camera outside Pittsburgh, marking a rare and exciting sighting. Fishers, which are large mammals belonging to the weasel family, were previously eradicated from Pennsylvania due to deforestation and hunting in the late 1800s and early 1900s. However, wildlife advocates reintroduced nearly 190 fishers from New Hampshire to six locations in north central Pennsylvania in the 1990s, leading to a steady increase in their population.
Bill Powers, the owner of the trail camera that captured the fisher in Murrysville, was surprised to see the footage when he checked his camera. Powers often leaves the cameras in remote areas for months before retrieving them, and finding the fisher was a delightful surprise for him. The fisher spotted in the footage was estimated to be around 3 feet long, making it one of the largest members of the weasel family in Pennsylvania.
Despite their relatively small size, fishers are known to be fierce predators, preying on a variety of animals including rabbits, squirrels, mice, shrews, and birds. They also have a diverse diet that includes eggs, nuts, acorns, apples, and berries. Interestingly, fishers are the only North American mammals capable of killing and consuming porcupines, showcasing their predatory skills.
Contrary to their name, fishers do not actually consume fish. They are skilled hunters in wooded environments and forests, with the ability to take down animals much larger than themselves, such as a Canada lynx. The rare sighting of a fisher in Murrysville is a testament to the successful reintroduction efforts that have allowed these elusive predators to thrive once again in Pennsylvania.
