State and federal biologists are celebrating after finding the first wild fishers to be born in the North Cascades in nearly 50 years.
Fishers are a house cat-sized member of the weasel family that once roamed much of Washington.
But Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist Jeff Lewis says habitat loss and trapping brought them close to extinction in the state.
Fishers from other states and Canada were reintroduced in Washington, and a female was caught on camera last month moving four kits near their den in Western Chelan County.
Lewis says they’re carnivores that play an important role in the ecosystem.
They’ve been spotted in many parts of Washington since reintroduction including North Cascades National Park and the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.