Leiters Mill Road Bridge Closes to Protect Endangered Fur Bearing Trout

Picture of fur bearing trout. CC BY 2.0 Samantha Marx

HAGERSTOWN, MD - The discovery of the endangered fur bearing trout nesting below Leiters Mill Road Bridge has prompted officials to close the bridge as precautions are put in place to encourage the fish to reproduce, and protect the fish from warm weather in the spring. The bridge will close February 15, and will remain closed for at least six months.

The fur bearing trout, first discovered in Scotland, is a rare mutation of rainbow trout, in which the fish adapts to colder climates by growing fur.

"We thought they were extinct in Washington County because of all the mild winters we've had lately," stated one official, "but the colder weather these past few months must have brought them out of hibernation."

The trout cannot survive in warmer waters, as they overheat due to the fur surrounding their bodies. The Maryland Department of the Environment will work closely with the Environmental Protection Agency to ensure cooler systems will be installed under the bridge to prevent the trout from overheating during the spring and summer.

Much like cicadas, fur bearing trout typically spend their warmer months burrowing under the stream bed, where the temperature is cooler. However, because the fur bearing trout have appeared late in the season, they may not hibernate in time to avoid the spring's heat.

Area residents are reminded that since the fur bearing trout is an endangered species, should you accidentally catch the fish, you must immediately release it back to the wild.

No EPA officials were baffled by mysterious fish while writing this post. The Hagerstown Report is a satire site.