New York, United States - July 28, 2025 A short, nighttime video released by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation captures a rare moment as a fisher briefly approaches a camera, playfully interacts, and then disappears back into the darkness. In the footage, the animal pauses and seems to curiously observe the lens before vanishing. The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation shared the clip with a message about common misconceptions surrounding the elusive species. “This fisher wants you to know that you probably have the wrong idea. It’s not them keeping you up all night with that screaming, they're actually very shy and prefer it when there’s no humans around,” the department stated. Officials explained that while many people report hearing fishers scream, the animal is usually not the culprit. Fishers tend to be quiet, mostly producing soft growls or chuckling grunts. In many cases, the eerie nighttime screams are actually made by red foxes, which are known for their vocalizations, especially when defending territory. Other animals that can produce scream-like sounds include owls, coyotes, and bobcats, all common in forested areas. The fisher (Pekania pennanti) is a carnivorous mammal found across North America’s boreal forests. Despite being known as a “fisher cat,” it is not a feline but belongs to the mustelid family.