When the body of a decomposing sturgeon was found on the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn bridge the very un-outdoorsy New Yorkers were enthralled with the mystery animal they dubbed the ‘East River Monster.” Even the cryptozoologist community was on the story for a short time. While it’s easy to simply smirk at the ignorance of the city dweller what I find more interesting, as someone who lived in New York City for several years, was that there were sturgeon there at all.
Apparently sturgeon were once common in the river but had become rare due to overfishing. This find suggests that the population is on the increase.
I have stumbled on some very surprising wild life while hiking the city park system. I’ve seen many turkey and deer in Van Cordlant park for example and I have often seen fisherman along the rivers pulling in all manner of fish. I was under the impression that it wasn’t strictly legal but apparently fishing is one of the few outdoor sports still allowed in New York City – though in freshwater it is strictly catch and release.
If sturgeon are making a comeback into the river though I may have to take a vacation back north in the next few years – and given the size of this monster the fishing should be good.