Few studies have examined carnivores in areas populated by humans. The report measured the conservation status of 14 mesocarnivores, from coyotes to river otters. Species reintroduction, which began in the 1940s, and reforestation have led to the re-establishment of viable populations throughout most of their original northeastern range, Ray said. Raccoon populations, for example, are 15 to 20 times greater than they were in the 1930s, the report notes. Fisher populations have increased due to protective legislation and habitat improvement.
Fishers are another remarkable success story in the Northeast.
Beginning in the 1800s, the species disapppeared from most of its northeastern range. By the 1930s, only isolated populations remained in Maine and in the White and Adirondack mountains. According to the report, protective legislation against trapping, habitat improvement through reforestation of agricultural land, and reintroductions have returned the fisher to most of its former range. Not all mesocarnivore populations are flourishing, Ray allowed. Some mesocarnivores, including lynx and bobcats, face increasing threats due to the success of competitors such as coyotes.