OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — Twelve more fishers have been released into Olympic National Park, continuing a three-year effort to reintroduce the animal to the state.
Eight were released in the Graves Creek drainage of the Quinault valley and four in the Bogachiel valley on Thursday, said Barb Maynes, park spokeswoman, today.
About the size of a cat, fishers are members of the weasel family, and are native to the forests of Washington, including the
Olympic Peninsula. The species vanished from the state decades ago because of over-trapping in the late 1800s and early 1900s and habitat loss and fragmentation.
Since 2008, 77 fishers have been released in the park, including the 12 released this week.
Partners in the project hope to release at least 15 more animals about a month from now, which will be the final release for the project.
The goal is to re-establish a self-sustaining population in the park.
In order to track the population, each animal wears a small radio transmitter, allowing biologists to track and monitor its movements.
“We began this project with the goal of releasing 100 fishers over the course of three winters,” said Olympic National Park Superintendent Karen Gustin in a statement.
“Thanks to the contributions and support from many partners in both Washington and British Columbia, we are very close to meeting our goal.”
More information, including monthly updates on monitoring, is available online at http://tinyurl.com/yzbpne2.
