Hopewell Township sightings of predatory fisher are reported
By: Erika Templeton
HOPEWELL Is a new ferocious predator lurking in the Hopewell area? Some residents say there is: the fisher or fisher-cat, preying on cats and howling through the streets at night.
The weasel-like fishers (Martes pennanti) were once rarely seen outside of the dense forests of New England, but in recent months there have been increased sightings throughout the Northeast.
Diana Cooper is positive a fisher has been lurking around her Prospect Street residence in Hopewell Borough. In May, she reported seeing it twice, but suspects it has been around much longer. Last fall the family’s pet cat, Fortune, came home with severe, unexplained injuries. Her son, Ryan Cooper, said their cat had "a big chunk taken out of it, like it really got attacked by something."
When a close family friend warned the Coopers of a possible fisher attack, Ms. Cooper said, "We laughed at him."
The fisher adult male weighs 8 to 16 pounds and measures about 3 feet head to tail. It is the largest member of the animal family that includes weasels, mink, otter and skunk. The fisher exhibits a typical weasel shape with a long slender body, short legs and furry tail. They are brown to black in color and have a pointed face with large rounded ears set close to the head.
Then on Memorial Day weekend, Ms. Cooper was awakened at 2 a.m. by what she says sounded "like an old lady screaming. I ran downstairs to open the door and the cat came flying in like it knew it was being chased."
That’s when Ms. Cooper said she first saw the fisher.
"It was across the street from us, coming towards the house. It looked at us through the window." When the family’s pet dog barked it was enough to deter the animal, but "it didn’t run. It just kind of slinked away."
Ms. Cooper described the rare creature as having a bear-like face with a long, bushy tail. "It had a cat’s body, but longer about 2 to 3 feet long," she said.
Other Hopewell Valley residents have reported hearing the fisher’s call on multiple occasions.
Jillian Potenza, of Pleasant Valley Road in the township, heard the same identifiable screech at her home miles away.
"I heard it late at night and it really creeped me out. It’s eerie-sounding," she said.
Residents near Rosedale Park and Mountain Church Road, Hopewell Township, have also reported hearing the fisher.
According to information Ms. Cooper received after her sighting, the animals move around a 10-mile hunting radius, so it’s not surprising reports have come in from all over the area.
Immediately after her sighting, Ms. Cooper left a message to alert Animal Control Officer Belinda Ogitis, but she said she never heard back. Beth Scheuerlein, a resident on Center Street, also left a message for Ms. Ogitis after hearing late-night screeches. She, too, said she has received no response.
When asked about the reports, Ms. Ogitis cited the need for concrete evidence.
"Anyone can call and claim they have a tiger in their backyard," she said.
Ms. Ogitis said she has heard three reports of fishers, but until she sees pictures, dead pets or a trapped fisher itself, there isn’t much she can do.
Despite the reports coming in, Ms. Ogitis isn’t worried. If a fisher really were in the area, she explained, "we would be losing cats. We would be losing small dogs. … Fishers don’t know the difference between your house pets and a groundhog." Ms. Ogitis said she has not seen an increase in missing pet notices.