Rare Sighting of Predatory Mammal in NE Iowa

WAUKON, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Natural Resources Department has reported a rare, confirmed sighting of a predatory mammal known as a fisher.

The department says on its Facebook page that a trail camera captured an image of one in November on a wooded hillside in Allamakee County. The department says the photo is the first documented sighting of a fisher in Iowa in about 150 years.

The department says the fisher likely came from southeast Minnesota, where Minnesota officials have said fishers are expanding.

Mammalogists say fishers can weight up to 12 pounds and are primarily carnivores — cousins to weasels, otter and mink — and are known for their fierceness.