Limo in Fishers, IN

Ohio has had a wild 2025.

Black bears have appeared where they haven't been seen for decades. Fishers were spotted near Cleveland for the first time in nearly two centuries. A bobcat was seen strolling through a nature preserve. And dozens of bald eagles flocked to and nested in the Buckeye State.

Many of these animals were once native to Ohio, but driven out of the state in the 1800s through hunting and loss of habitat. They are making a comeback, though, and are spreading throughout the state.

Here's a look back at where these creatures have been seen around Ohio over the past year.

First black bear in 20 years spotted near Pataskala; tracks spotted in December snow

For the first time in more than 20 years, a black bear was spotted near Pataskala, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) confirmed in a June Facebook post. It was the first black bear sighting in Licking County since 2003, and the sixth in the county since 1993.

Black bears were considered gone from Ohio by the 1850s, according to ODNR, due to deforestation and hunting by Ohio settlers. However, they have been spotted wandering through the state more frequently as populations in Pennsylvania and West Virginia grow, according to the Ohio Black Bear Monitoring Report from November 2023. And they are making a small comeback, with an estimated in-state population between 50 and 100.

In December, a hunter spotted black bear tracks in the snow near Wayne National Forest in Southern Ohio.

Elsewhere around Ohio in 2025, a pickup struck a black bear in Richland County, about 14 miles south of Mansfield; it didn't survive. Bears also were spotted outside Dayton, in Greater Cincinnati and in Gallia County in Southern Ohio. Two were spotted in Northeast Ohio, one in Geauga County and another in Streetsboro in Portage County.

Bald eagles, once an endangered species, flock to Lake Erie, Ohio rivers and waterways

Bald eagles flocked to Ohio in January 2025, a time of year when the birds start nesting and court.

More than 50 were spotted in Lorain County, near Lake Erie. Approximately 10 more were seen on Catawba Island. And another 50-plus were counted in the trees near Huron.

Elsewhere, about 35 bald eagles were counted in one spot in the Village of Sheffield, in Lorain County (west of Cleveland), as reported by Renate Erwin in the Birding Ohio Facebook group. In a different sighting, another 51 were counted.

Bald eagles had nearly vanished from the state, with four nesting pairs of bald eagles in 1979, per the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. By 2024, that number has grown to 841, per the ODNR Division of Wildlife.

The bird was removed from the federal endangered species list in 2007 and from Ohio's list in 2012. However, they are still protected under the federal Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, according to ODNR. It is illegal to disturb bald eagles.

Fishers, rare mammals related to river otters, spotted nearl Cleveland for first time in nearly 200 years

Fishers also are continuing their comeback in Ohio, with one spotted near Cleveland for the first time in nearly 200 years.

A fisher, a mammal related to river otters and weasels, was caught on a wildlife camera earlier this year in a Cleveland Metropark, the agency shared on Instagram in December 2025. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife confirmed to Cleveland Metroparks that this sighting was the first in Cuyahoga County since the fishers disappeared from the state in the 1800s.

Fishers disappeared from Ohio by the mid-1800s, as settlers cleared their habitat and hunted them to near-extinction, according to Farm and Dairy. Since 2013, there have been more than 40 confirmed fisher sightings across several northeast Ohio counties (Ashtabula, Columbiana, Geauga, Trumbull, Mahoning, Portage, Lake, Jefferson, Harrison, and Tuscarawas), according to ODNR. Two-thirds of those — about 26 sightings — happened in the past three years.

A fisher found as roadkill in 2023 in Ashtabula County was confirmed to be pregnant in early 2024, confirmation that the animals are colonizing Ohio again, per ODNR. And in April 2024, another fisher was found as roadkill near Kent in Portage County, Ohio, the farthest west the animals had traveled into Ohio at that time. That fisher was the largest one collected in Ohio to date, weighing in at 13 pounds.

Bobcat caught on camera at Ohio nature preserve

A bobcat was caught on camera taking a stroll at the Richardson Forest Preserve in February 2025.

While bobcats are rare in Ohio, sightings have become more frequent in recent years, according to sightings data compiled by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Native to Ohio, bobcats were common in the state until overhunting and loss of habitat drove them away in the mid-1800s. Occasional sightings began ramping up in the early 2000s, as bobcat populations in neighboring states made their way back to Ohio.

Fishers are continuing their comeback in Ohio, with one spotted near Cleveland for the first time in nearly 200 years.

A fisher, a mammal related to river otters and weasels, was caught on a wildlife camera earlier this year in a Cleveland Metropark and identified by Andy Burmesch, Cleveland Metroparks wildlife management coordinator, the agency shared on Instagram Dec. 13. The post, which included two videos and several photos, has received nearly 33,000 likes and 400 comments.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife confirmed to Cleveland Metroparks that this sighting is the first in Cuyahoga County since the fishers disappeared from the state in the 1800s.

"The return of fishers and other extirpated species like otters, bobcats and trumpeter swans are a result of conservation efforts and emphasize the importance of our healthy forests, wetlands, waterways and natural areas in Cleveland Metroparks," the parks system writes.

What is a fisher, sometimes incorrectly called a fisher cat?

Despite frequently being called a "fisher cat," fishers are not cats, nor do they catch fish. They are forest-dwelling carnivorous members of the weasel family.

They mostly live in southern Canada, New England and New York, but can be found in scattered locations in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia.

Fishers have a weasel-like body, bushy tail, tapered muzzle, and low rounded ears. Adults grow to a length of 20 to 25 inches, excluding the 13 to 16.5-inch tail, and can weigh between 3 and 15 pounds. Males are larger and heavier than females.

They hunt rodents and other animals, both in the trees and on the ground. Their diet also includes fruits and nuts.

Fishers making comeback in Ohio

Fishers disappeared from Ohio by the mid-1800s, as settlers cleared their habitat and hunted them to near-extinction, according to Farm and Dairy. Since then, there have been more than 40 confirmed fisher sightings across several northeast Ohio counties (Ashtabula, Columbiana, Geauga, Trumbull, Mahoning, Portage, Lake, Jefferson, Harrison, and Tuscarawas), according to ODNR. Two-thirds of those — about 26 sightings — happened in the past three years.

Both Pennsylvania and West Virginia conducted a reintroduction program for fishers, Laurie Brown, wildlife research technician with the ODNR Division of Wildlife, said, and that population is starting to expand to Ohio. The programs in both states were so successful, both now offer a fisher trapping season.

A fisher found as roadkill in 2023 in Ashtabula County was confirmed to be pregnant in early 2024, per ODNR, confirmation that the animals are colonizing Ohio again, per ODNR. And in April 2024, another fisher was found as roadkill near Kent in Portage County, Ohio, the farthest west the animals had traveled into Ohio at that time. That fisher was the largest one collected in Ohio to date, weighing in at 13 pounds.

ODNR Division of Wildlife studying fishers in Ohio

The ODNR Division of Wildlife collects roadkill fishers found in Ohio to determine age and test genetics.

According to Brown, wildlife biologists will examine the animal's general health, possibly look at stomach contents to study its diet and, if female, check to see if the animal was pregnant or breeding.

Fisher vs. mink. What animals are in the same family?

Fishers are a mustelid (family Mustelidae), which includes about 55 species of ferrets, polecats, badgers, martens, otters and weasels, among others, according to Britannica.

They are often confused with their cousin, the mink, according to the U.S. Forestry Service. But minks are smaller, measuring 12 to 16 inches head to tail and weighing 1 to 2.25 pounds. Minks also have a small, white patch on their chin and/or throat/chest, and have a shorter, less bushy tail.

How to report a fisher sighting

The Division of Wildlife relies, in part, on public reports to monitor Ohio’s growing fisher population, as well as black bears, badgers, weasels, and bobcats. Report observations, including photos or videos, to the Division of Wildlife via the HuntFish OH mobile app or at wildohio.gov. Contact your county wildlife officer to report roadkill fishers. It is not permitted to collect roadkill carcasses.

Fishers have warned tough new catch rules will make West Australian fish unaffordable, and will see more imported fish on menus across the state.

On Wednesday, the government announced its plan to slash demersal catch limits and shut down some fisheries to save fish species on the brink of extinction.

The ban has shocked fishers and the food service industry, with commercial demersal fishers indefinitely shut out of a 700-kilometre stretch of coastline.

In other areas, the demersal catch has been slashed in half, while the Pilbara trawl industry has been shut down completely.

More imported fish

Geraldton fisher David Dyson said the reforms would hurt industry "right down the line" and result in more imported seafood landing in restaurants.

"The demand [for dhufish] is there, but the supply won't be," Mr Dyson said.

"So we're going to end up seeing imported fish hitting more of our outlets, which isn't good for anyone.

"You're not going to be able to go to a fish and chip shop and buy decent fish and chips anymore."

Mr Dyson said the unbalanced supply versus demand would result in customers being priced out of the market and they may "never get dhufish again".

The government allocated $20 million for the compulsory buyout of fishers, but Mr Dyson said it was not "a drop in the ocean".

"Your future income has been cut off, so you can't just pay for the licence in itself, you've got to consider that there's no income coming for those people,"

he said.

Dolphins and sawfish deaths shut down trawl

Three quarters of the demersal fish caught in Western Australia is consumed within the state, with just under half sold in food service.

The Pilbara trawl industry provides 40 per cent of the state's demersal fish supply.

Fisheries minister Jackie Jarvis said the trawl sector had lost its social and environmental licence, amid evidence dolphins, critically endangered sawfish and sea snakes were also being trapped in the nets.

"It was, I think, around 15 dolphins last year that drowned in trawling nets and a higher number of endangered saw fish," she said.

Premium fish off the menu

Restaurant industry veteran Colin Cox has been selling premium quality demersal fish to tourists and Geraldton residents for 33 years.

His family's business Skeetas sells 1.8 tonnes of locally caught fish each year through its "catch of the day" special.

But Mr Cox said the changes meant popular items like dhufish would be off the menu, and fresh fish would be harder to find.

"Geraldton is known for fresh fish, fresh crayfish, we're a fishing community, now we can't buy fresh fish in Geraldton or the Midwest,"

he said.

What about the public

Julie Boschetti sells fresh fish to the public at her wharf-based business Latitude Direct.

"I am extremely disappointed and appalled," she said.

"The general public, where are they going to go to buy fish?

"They can't afford to go and buy a boat and go out recreational fishing, so where are they going to buy their fish?

"I won't be able to get fresh fish here."

She said commercial fishers in the region had already taken significant cuts to their catch limits, and she was concerned about fish suppliers who had invested in the industry.

Anthony Heslewood from Revolution Fisheries, which operates three fisheries from Bunbury to Esperance, was fuming at the government's broad approach to fisheries management.

"They're trying to save one or two species of fish, and in doing so they have taken every other species of fish off the table as well, which is just so ridiculous," he said.

"Nannygai came in at a low risk, so there's basically no risk at all and we can now no longer access those for anybody."

"Getting rid of commercial fishermen isn't going to solve [sustainability issues] whatsoever.

"It's really disgusting, West Australians have the most pristine coastline, we've got a cracking fishery out there."