Mysterious creature spotted on the streets of New York feasting on rats
A mysterious creature that was spotted roaming the streets of a neighbourhood in New York City has been identified.
Locals in the Morris Heights area have seen the unusual creature exploring the neighbourhood for months.The first sighting was in April.
According to the Daily Mail, zoologist Roland Kays has identified it as a fisher, a member of the weasel family.
Locals shouldn't worry as the furry animal is not a threat to humans.
In fact, the mystery creature could be the answer to New York's rat problem as this long-haired creature preys on rats and squirrels.
The Department of Environmental Conservation describes the fisher as a 'large, dark, long-haired member of the weasel family. Their stature is relatively low to the ground, with short legs, small ears and a well-furred tail.'
Fishers were driven from New York in the 1600s when they were hunted for their fur.
According to the Huffington Post, fisher trappings were banned in the 1930s. Kays says today the fisher population is booming in the Northeast and a trapping season has been reinstated.
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