Ferrets
Black-footed ferrets photo courtesy of the National Park Service.
DB: This is Earth and Sky, on the black-footed ferret.
JB: By the mid-1970s, these animals were thought to be extinct from the wild. Then, dramatically, a small group of about 130 ferrets was found in Wyoming in 1981. When a disease outbreak threatened to wipe out this group, the wild black-footed ferrets that were left – only 18 in number – were taken into captivity. Today, it’s thought that every black-footed ferret living on Earth is a descendent of just seven that reproduced from that original 18. Now, a few hundred black-footed ferrets are released every year into the wild.
DB: Prairie dogs make up more than 95 percent of a ferret’s diet. And this dependence on prairie dogs hurts the ferrets, too. That’s because prairie dog numbers have dwindled to less than one percent of their original size across the Great Plains. Most were killed during the last century by ranchers and farmers who view prairie dogs as pests.
JB: Genetic diversity in ferrets remains a concern, and scientists carefully breed them in captivity to help start wild populations. Several zoos across the country keep ferrets safe, just in case. And that’s our show. Thanks today to the Bureau of Land Management and to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation – promoting the conservation of native fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats. We’re Block and Byrd for Earth and Sky.
There were a lot of problems in getting the ferrets to reproduce from the original 18.
We have a second problem, loss of genetic diversity
Plague, 2 cases ever, most human cases basic living conditions, close contact, hard for people to get, common route for exposure, close contact with pets.
Plague only came to N. America 100 years ago, Asian, European disease
Genetic diversity is certainly a cause for concern in managing ferrets, and on top of that the exotic disease plague is lethal to them.
For more information:
Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Program
The Black-footed ferret: an endangered species Nebraska Game & Parks Commission)
The Endangered Species Program. Fish & Wildlife Service)
Thanks to the following individual who helped with the preparation of this script:
Randy Matchett
Wildlife Biologist
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Additional Teacher Resources
U.S. Geological Survey: Black-Footed Ferret, Mustela nigripes
A fact sheet covering the biology, life cycle and habitat of the black-footed ferret.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: Black-Footed Ferret
A report on the life history and recovery activities of the black-footed ferret, as well as links to more information on a variety of subjects about the species.
