Ohioans got an early Christmas gift this year, as the state Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife announced this week it can confirm the sighting of a fisher — the weasel-like animal, not a person standing in a river in hip waders — caught on a wildlife camera in Cuyahoga County.

Fishers have not been seen in Ohio since about the mid-1800s, according to the ODNR, until recently. They were run out because of unregulated harvest and loss of habitat. But this latest sighting joins 40 others in Ashtabula, Columbiana, Geauga, Trumbull, Mahoning, Portage, Lake, Jefferson, Harrison, and Tuscarawas counties, which means the fisher has been upgraded to “species of special interest” in the Buckeye State. ODNR called the news “tremendously exciting.”

In fact, it would be tremendously exciting for anyone to see one while out on a winter walk. But those who do must remember to report the sighting at wildohio.gov. The wildlife reporting system there allows for reports of wild turkey, badger, bald eagle nest, barn owl, black bear, bobcat, feral swine, fisher, gray fox, porcupine, river otter, ruffed grouse, sandhill crane, snowshoe hare and weasel.

What a fun bit of citizen science to inject into any family outings you may have planned while the kids are home for the holiday break.

It’s a little bit of good news about the health of Ohio’s habitats and the creatures that are giving the region a second chance; and a holiday reminder to work toward improvements that invite back even more species.