Animal spotted in Cuyahoga County for first time in more than a century
CLEVELAND (WJW) — Cleveland Metroparks is highlighting exciting wildlife sightings that experts say are proof conservation efforts are working.
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A fisherman, who belongs to the same family as weasels, mink, martens and otters, was spotted on wildlife cameras in Cuyahoga County earlier this year, Cleveland Metro Parks said in an Instagram post Saturday.
Although dozens of sightings have been reported in several Ohio counties, including the first in 2013, this marks the first time verified sightings in Cuyahoga County and Cleveland Metropolitan Parks, said Cleveland Metropolitan Parks ecologist Jonathan Sepek.
“The Ohio Department of Wildlife confirmed the sighting in Cleveland Metroparks is the first recorded in Cuyahoga County since the species originally disappeared in the 1800s,” the post said.
Photo Credit: Cleveland City Parks
Cleveland Metro Parks said the fisher was listed as a “species of special interest” by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. It is thought that Ohio’s fishermen were wiped out or extinct by the mid-1800s. The reason for their extinction was “unregulated harvesting and habitat loss,” the post said.
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“This is very exciting because this is the first time another extinct native Ohio mammal species has been documented in a Cleveland Metroparks. The return of fishermen and other extinct species such as otters, bobcats and trumpeter swans is the result of conservation efforts and underscores the importance of healthy forests, wetlands, waterways and natural areas in Cleveland Metroparks,” the post said.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says fishers often live in forested areas with large tree canopies and use tree cavities as nests. These mammals prey on squirrels, mice, and birds.
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