Dark Fox-like animal


(Orillia, Ontario)

Aug 21, 2011. Driving home along the Cambrian Road, northwest of Orillia, 9:30 pm.

I thought from a distance a Skunk was standing on the road - out in the middle of nowhere. As we neared it, I saw it was much larger than a Skunk and was sitting in the middle of the road.

It had longish, thin legs, body mostly black with dark brown streaky markings, bushy tail (like a fox but without the white tip). It had a smallish head and small pointed ears like a fox.

I have been looking on the net and have found nothing like this critter.

It looked at us viciously for a second (as we swerved to miss it) then it turned and fled into the bushes.

Anyone have any ideas as to what it might have been?

EDIT: Two people suggested that you might have seen a Fisher.

There is more information about Canadian Wildlife at this link to BorealForest.Org.

Please let us know if this could be what you saw

Comments for Dark Fox-like animal

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Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Fat, black, long nose and it Loped
by: Anonymous

Today I saw a fat, long, low to the ground black animal with a long nose, loping rather than ordinary running, in a field at Maple Valley, ON. It seemed to be the size of a beaver. I have never seen anything like it and I have lived in Ontario for over 70 years. Does it sound familiar to anyone? I will look up a Fisher, but it doesn't seem to quite fit the description of them.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Black and Brown Fox-like animal
by: Anonymous

I THINK YOU SAW THE SAME THING THAT I DID. I JUST PUT THE DESCRIPTION BELOW OUT TO SEE WHO MIGHT HAVE SEEN AN ANIMAL LIKE THIS - YOU SEEM TO HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD. I HAVE SEEN FISHERS, IT WASN'T A FISHER...

I saw an animal between Cranberry Lake & Tupper Lake, NY (USA) over this past weekend. It was a mix of black and brown fur had the fox tail. the fur was patchy, didn't look as sleek as the fox fur, and the brown "bled" into the black. The ears seemed the right size but the face wasn't as pointed as the fox nose. I have no idea what it was, it was sitting on the side of the road after dark. I would love to know what it was.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Fisher
by: Anonymous

About five to six years ago, I was driving on the 12th Line of Oro Medonte, (near Orillia) when a strange dark furry creature ran in front of us.

I had no idea what the animal was. I started to ask around, when a friend who had retired from the MNR said that I was describing a Fisher.

Since then several others have sighted this very vicious animal.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Fisher
by: Anonymous

Sounds to me it might have been a Fisher.

Check it out on the internet. I was shocked when I saw my first one.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Coyote?
by: Anonymous

Seems like the description of a coyote to me:-)

I have yet to see one up close.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Might be a Fisher
by: Anonymous

Sounds to me like you may have seen a Fisher. I didn't know what it was the first time I saw one either.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Maybe it was a Coyote?
by: Anonymous

Hi,

I wonder if it may have been a Coyote?

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