For over a century, the northern forests of New Jersey were missing one of the top woodland predators in North America. The fisher, a solitary, nocturnal carnivore, roams deep in the forest in search of a wide variety of animals to prey upon.
In the 1700's and 1800's, fishers were heavily trapped with absolutely no restrictions and their forest habitat was eliminated. Along with wolves and cougars, fishers were extirpated from New Jersey by very early in the 1900's.
Could an animal such as a fisher, an animal that represents true wilderness, exist over 100 years later in a state as heavily populated and developed as New Jersey? Initially, the so-called experts said it wasn't possible and that fishers were never here, they're not here now, and they never will be. As with any discovery of great importance, the obstacles set by naysayers and non-believers only serves to strengthen the resolve of those that persevere.
All of that changed on October 5, 2006 at 9:11 PM when the re-emergence of the fisher was verified in the Garden State. Conservation implications extend beyond simply noting the presence of fishers in the state and entail more proactive measures throughout northwestern New Jersey.
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