Fisher Behaviour Shown in Rare Video Footage

Female Fishers require tree cavities for reproduction, as they provide a secure environment for kits by regulating temperature extremes and limiting predator access. Sometimes, predation can come from male Fishers, and rare video footage highlights the measures some males will take to ensure that progeny from another male does not survive.

Wildlife biologist, Larry Davis, and his team have been installing and monitoring artificial Fisher den boxes, primarily in the Bridge River watershed, for five years. In total, 56 den boxes have been installed and monitored. The work aligns with the Coastal Region Bridge-Seton Watershed Action Plan because urban development, including reservoir creation, has resulted in the loss of large-diameter trees, which may be a limiting factor for Fisher reproduction.

During the 2017 denning season, four of the 56 boxes monitored had between one and three Fisher kits. Check out the fascinating behaviour of male and female Fishers, as well as some of the box modifications designed to increase kit survival rate.

See the video at: youtu.be/CAkpibBaukU 

More information about the project at:

https://fwcp.ca/project/testing-artificial-fisher-dens-bridge-seton-watershed/