A ferretible accomplishment

Almost extinct in the '70s, black-footed ferrets celebrate 25 years since their rediscovery

Posted by Kate Sheppard at 3:38 PM on 26 Sep 2006

Read more about: wildlife | endangered species

We get all sorts of interesting press releases here. Some informative, some less-informative, others amusing and random. According to this one, today marks the 25th anniversary of the rediscovery of the black-footed ferret. It came with a complete history of the ferret, as well as charts, graphs, and contact information for prominent ferret experts.

The black-footed ferret, which is the only species of ferret native to the United States, was believed to be extinct back in 1979, after the last known ferret died in captivity. But on September 26, 1981, a fortuitous run-in with a ranch dog led investigators to the last remaining ferret colony in the United States.

As of 1985, there were 18, but since then their ranks have swelled to nearly 700, though they still remain an endangered species. The problem plaguing the ferrets, however, is the pressure development has put on their food source. They feast almost exclusively on prairie dogs, and live in vacated prairie dog burrows, and with the dogs being shot, poisoned, and evicted at rapid rates, the remaining ferrets are left hungry.

Anyway, if you should happen upon a black-footed ferret today, be sure to give it a high-five. Well, a low-five perhaps. And maybe a sandwich.

For story: A ferretible accomplishment
3 Comments | Post a Comment

Make that a prarie dog sandwich

We almost wiped them out again when researchers accidently gave them a cat disease after rediscovering them.

In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world

by biodiversivist at 5:59 PM on 26 Sep 2006

Thanks, Kate...

...for "ferreting" this story out.

Robert Delfs

by Robert Delfs at 7:13 PM on 26 Sep 2006

"maybe a sandwich"

OK, but what kind? Tunafish on a kaiser roll? Pastrami on rye with brown mustard? Grilled cheese?

Seriously, I wonder what ferrets might eat, aside from prairie dogs, and other small vertebrates.

Their brush with extinction is attributed to the widespread killing off of prairie dogs, apparently their favorite prey. Presumably that is true. But in that case, it does not fit the general pattern of the way in which predators tend to be driven to extinction. Wolves, bears, seals, dolphins, tigers, raptors, etc. tend to be demonized as "competitors" for the same prey animals that humans want to hunt, and that is how they get into trouble. Not so, though, with ferrets, I think.

But my basic question is: Do ferrets scavenge from carcasses? And if so, is their decline in any way due to their feeding from poisoned carcasses, set especially for wolves and coyotes?

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

by caniscandida at 7:23 PM on 26 Sep 2006

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