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         Ferrets Wildlife:     more books (54)
  1. Black-footed ferret annotated bibliography, 1986-1990 (Montana BLM wildlife technical bulletin) by Richard P Reading, 1990
  2. Attitudes of Montanans toward a proposed black-footed ferret (mustela nigripes) reintroduction, with special reference to ranchers by Richard P Reading, 1991
  3. Conservation Biology and the Black-Footed Ferret
  4. Lions, Ferrets, & Bears: A Guide to the Mammals of Colorado by David M. Armstrong, 1993
  5. BLACK-FOOTED FERRET SURVEYS ON SEVEN COAL OCCURRENCE AREAS IN SOUTHWESTERN AND SOUTHCENTRAL WYOMING by Stephen J.; Schroeder, Max H. Martin, 1978-01-01
  6. 21st Century Complete Guide to the Black-Footed Ferret (Mustela Nigripes) and Habitat - Yellowstone Park, Recovery Plan, Reintroduction, Plague, Conservation ... - Nature and Wildlife Guide Series (CD-ROM) by U.S. Government, 2009-10-24
  7. Ferrets (Keeping Unusual Pets) by June McNicholas, 2002-11-04
  8. Black-footed Ferret: Black-footed Ferret, Steppe Polecat, Weasel, Mink, Polecat, Marten, Otter, Endangered species, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, ... extinction, Meeteetse, Wyoming, Gestation
  9. An annotated bibliography on the ferret (Mustela putorius furo) (Bird and Mammal Conservation Program report) by Desley Whisson, 1997
  10. WHERE ARE MY PRAIRIE DOGS & BLACK-FOOTED (An Audubon Book) by Ron Hirschi, 1992-09-01
  11. It Wasn't Me! by U Weigelt, J Gukova, 2001-09-01

61. Center To Breed Endangered Ferrets
and wildlife Service captured the last 18 wild blackfooted ferrets to start a captivebreeding population at the Department's Sybille wildlife Research and
http://www.azod.com/Outdoor Updates/Archive/2001/Center To Breed Endangered Ferr
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Last week the Arizona Game and Fish Department participated in groundbreaking activities for the new $8 million National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center that will house the largest captive population of black-footed ferrets in the nation. The heart of the conservation center, located along Interstate 25 north of Fort Collins, Colo., will be its captive breeding facility. "It was very exciting to participate in this long awaited event. The black-footed ferret is one of the most endangered mammals in North America and the captive breeding facility is part of the national black-footed ferret recovery program," said Frosty Taylor, Heritage information coordinator for Game and Fish, and chairman of the national Black-footed Ferret Recovery Implementation Recovery Program Outreach and Education Committee. Without a captive breeding program, black-footed ferrets would have become extinct in the late 1980s. The last known individuals in the wild were trapped in Wyoming and placed in captivity to save the species in 1986 and 1987.

62. Legalisation Of Ferrets In California - Ferret Facts
Legalisation of ferrets in California Ferret Facts. ferrets pose nothreat to agriculture or wildlife. All fifty states report that
http://users.1st.net/hammock/ferrets/legal/cafact.htm
Legalisation of Ferrets in California
Ferret Facts Ferrets pose no threat to agriculture or wildlife. All fifty states report that there are no feral populations of ferrets, and no adverse effects on wildlife or agriculture. Recent successful legislative efforts to end the ban on ferrets in both Michigan and Massachusetts had the full support of their respective wildlife agencies. Concerns by veterinarians that prohibition of the domesticated pet ferret is not in the animals' best interests, that unvaccinated animals are not in the public's best interests, and that treatment and vaccination of these animals may lead to a compromise of their licenses, have led the California Veterinary Medical Association to strongly support legalization. Historically the California Department of Health Services has claimed the domesticated ferret is a threat to children. In fact, studies on comparative animal bites from the Journal of the American Veterinary Medial Association and the Center for Disease Control show that the domesticated dog is over 200 times more likely to bite and severely injure a child, or adult, than is a pet ferret on an animal per capita basis. The Center for Disease Control describes ferrets as docile and cat-like. The domesticated ferret has not had a measurable impact on municipal animal control facilities or humane society shelters. Facilities contacted throughout the United States reported an insignificant impact on their resources. If the ability to establish feral populations, overwhelm humane agencies, or inflict bodily harm, were a litmus test for domestic pet ownership, both dogs and cats would be banned ahead of the ferret.

63. N.D. Wildlife Then & Now
Lewis and Clark in North Dakota wildlife Then Now. Mammals. Barking Squirrelsand a Ghost (Blacktailed Prairie Dogs and Black-footed ferrets).
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/2001/thennow/squirrel.htm
Lewis and Clark in North Dakota:
Mammals
Barking Squirrels and a Ghost (Black-tailed Prairie Dogs and Black-footed Ferrets)
Lewis and Clark were captivated by prairie dogs and made frequent notes in their journals about these curious animals. In fact, they sent a cage with a live prairie dog back to President Jefferson from Fort Mandan. Prairie dog towns dotted the prairies of North Dakota south and west of the Missouri River. These towns ranged in size from several hundred to several thousand acres. Prairie dogs remained abundant until settlement of southwestern North Dakota in the 1880s and 1890s. Poisoning rapidly eliminated many of the towns and by 1920 few prairie dog towns remained in the state. It is estimated that prairie dogs now occupy about one percent of their former range. Today, black-tailed prairie dogs can be easily viewed at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, in scattered dog towns on the Little Missouri National Grasslands, Sioux County, and the Dakota Zoo in Bismarck. Although held in high esteem by Indian tribes of the northern Great Plains, Lewis and Clark apparently never saw or recognized black-footed ferrets during their expedition. This animal remained a secret to the scientific community until 1851. The lives of black-footed ferrets are so dependent upon prairie dogs (more than 85 percent of their diet), that their fate was sealed once the poisoning of dog towns was underway. Unverified sightings continue to be reported in the state, but for all practical purposes they are a ghost of North Dakota's past. Captive black-footed ferrets may be viewed at the Dakota Zoo.

64. ND Endangered And Threatened Species
References Blackfooted Ferret Recovery Plan by US Fish and wildlife Service,1988. Handbook of Methods for Locating Black-footed ferrets 1984, and Black
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/others/nddanger/species/mustnigr.htm
North Dakota's
Federally Listed Endangered, Threatened, and Candidate Species 1995
Black-footed Ferret ( Mustela nigripes
Official Status: Endangered
Endangered species are species that are in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of their range. It is unlawful to kill, harm, or harass endangered species.
Listed:
35 Federal Register 8495; June 2, 1970
Historical Status:
Black-footed ferrets once ranged throughout the Great Plains. It has been calculated that if all suitable habitat had been used, as many as 5.6 million black-footed ferrets may have existed in the late 1800's. Populations declined dramatically in the 1900's. The last known population was found at Meeteetse, Wyoming in 1981. The remaining 18 individuals from this population were captured and put into a captive breeding facility in 1987.
Present Status:
From 1987 until 1991 the black-footed ferret may have been extirpated in the wild. In the fall of 1991, 49 captive animals were reintroduced into the wild in Wyoming. The reintroduced animals were designated an "experimental" population. Unconfirmed sightings from other areas continue to be reported. In North Dakota, the majority of the reports come from the southwest part of the state. There are still about 300 black-footed ferrets in captivity. North Dakota is being evaluated for reintroduction sites.
Habitat:
The black-footed ferret inhabits short grass prairies, always within close proximity to prairie dog towns.

65. The Western Section Of The Wildlife Society - Re: Ferret Ownership
to California's wildlife, including to numerous endangered species. It could alsopose a threat to small livestock operations. The legalization of ferrets in
http://www.tws-west.org/treanor.html
The Wildlife Society
Western Section
Michael Morrison, President
Department of Biological Sciences
6000 J Street
California State University
Sacramento, CA 95819
February 1, 2000
Mr. Robert Treanor
Executive Director
State of California Fish and Game Commission
1416 9th St., Room 1320 Sacramento, CA 95814 sent via surface mail and FAX: 916-653-5040 Re: Ferret Ownership Dear Commissioners, The Wildlife Society is an international, nonprofit scientific and educational organization serving professionals in all areas of wildlife conservation and resource management. For over 60 years our membership of dedicated men and women has sought to enhance the capability of wildlife professionals in conserving diversity, sustaining productivity, and ensuring responsible use of wildlife resources for the benefit of society. This letter was prepared by the Conservation Affairs Committee of The Wildlife Society - Western Section, then reviewed by members of the Western Section's Executive Board. It has come to our attention that you will discuss a request by Californians to legalize ferret importation and ownership in California (Discussion Item number 9 scheduled for your meeting of February 3rd, 2000). We object to the legalization of ownership, importation, and intra-state transport of ferrets in California. We support the previous positions taken by the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) and the California Fish and Game Commission. Keeping the ferret away from California's wildlife will better enable CDFG to "manage California's diverse fish, wildlife, and plant resources and the habitats upon which they depend for their ecological value and for their use and enjoyment by the public," according to CDFG's mission.

66. HCPB-California's Plants And Animals
state wildlife agencies in 199697 for information on agency authority and otherlegal background, ferret classification and terminology, status of ferrets
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/hcpb/species/nuis_exo/ferret/ferret_issues.shtml
California Home DFG Home HCPB Home About HCPB ... Publication Information Habitat Conservation Planning Branch
1416 Ninth St., Sacramento, CA 95814
Telephone: (916) 653-4875 California Department of Fish and Game
Habitat Conservation Planning Branch
My CA Search DFG
CALIFORNIA'S PLANTS AND ANIMALS Introduction Table of Content Ferret Bibliography Population Estimates Ferret Survey ... Tables DOMESTIC FERRET ISSUES IN CALIFORNIA Compiled by Ronald M. Jurek, Wildlife Biologist
Species Conservation and Recovery Program
Habitat Conservation Planning Branch
California Department of Fish and Game
Posted July 1999
Last updated February 2001 INTRODUCTION The following information draws upon a wide array of publications and other information sources, with emphasis on articles available on the Internet. The main purpose of this web site is to direct readers to online information sources that pertain to the issues raised over pet ferret legalization in California. These include articles on the nature of the ferret, on the status of ferrets in the wild, on the issues of non-native species introductions in general and of introductions of small carnivores like the ferret in particular, and on native wildlife resources at risk in California. California animal importation restrictions exist to protect not only these wildlife resources, but also the State's agricultural interests, the public's health and safety, the wild populations of imported species, and the welfare of imported animals, themselves. Those aspects are included here, as well.

67. HCPB-California's Plants And Animals
Since no research was conducted on ferrets, the impacts of ferrets on wildlife werenot investigated, and the presumed disappearance of the population sometime
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/hcpb/species/nuis_exo/ferret/ferret_issues_2.shtml
California Home DFG Home HCPB Home About HCPB ... Publication Information Habitat Conservation Planning Branch
1416 Ninth St., Sacramento, CA 95814
Telephone: (916) 653-4875 California Department of Fish and Game
Habitat Conservation Planning Branch
My CA Search DFG
CALIFORNIA'S PLANTS AND ANIMALS DOMESTIC FERRET ISSUES IN CALIFORNIA Introduction Table of Content Ferret Bibliography Population Estimates ... Biology and Uses Ferret in the Wild World Distribution California's Concerns Native Carnivores Other Mustelidae ... Tables FERRETS IN THE WILD Escape of Ferrets to the Wild Ferrets may escape into the wild in any country where they are kept . . . King (1990) Domestic ferrets frequently escape from cages and from households and fur farms Ferrets are accomplished escape artists . They need only a 1-inch by 2-inch opening to get their head through, and the rest of the body will follow.

68. Wildlife
Tales From the Whole Universe wildlife. I'm an animal lover, and in myshort life I've had cats, rats, mice, newts, fish, and now ferrets.
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~cshaffer/wildlife.html
Wildlife
The Furry Plague Brand new Ferret Fiction
Read the Diary of Sebastian X
All seems quiet, so you slide your shoes off and venture into the bathroom. After some stealthy hopping and shimmying your clothes are lying on the tile floor. You consider sneaking into the bedroom to drop them into the hamper. You haven't heard anything from tthere. They must be sleeping. You peek out the bathroom door, looking right and left, then dash into the bedroom. You stumble, but do not turn on the light. It might wake them. With a silent whoop of victory you slam-dunk your dirty clothes into the hamper and smugly begin to return to the bathroom. A long black tail disappears under the bed. You are alarmed, suspicious. What's missing? You look around... "My insole! I'll get you, Sebastian, you rotten weasel!" Your naked butt is sticking up into the air as you reach under the bed to retrieve your stolen insole. A mocking chittering noise issues from beneath the bed. It's too far under for you to reach and he knows it. Maybe you should just let him have it. Chomp! Tiny teeth tickle the tender part of your foot.

69. Save On Magazine Up To 92%.
ferrets Magazine is the only magazine where ferret lovers can find indepth, accurate,current information, seek advice and interact NATIONAL wildlife MAGAZINE,
http://www.allamericanmagazines.com/category.asp?pid=89&parentName=Pets/Wildlife

70. Useful Websites
At the bottom of the site is an option to change the species which is focused uponfrom fish to horses, ferrets, wildlife, zoo animals etc. Primate InfoNet.
http://www.psgb.org/StudentRep/UsefulWebsites.html

71. CafePress.com | What's Your Passion?
Beckys wildlife and Fantasy Art Springtime for Weasel artwork by RebeccaKemp. The Ferret Wrecking Crew Store For the ferrets and Pitbulls.
http://www.cafeshops.com/cp/dir_browse.aspx?dir=35

72. Calendar 2003: Ferrets
Animal Lovers Gift Store gift items and merchandise on specific animals,pets, cats, dog breeds and wildlife. Home Barnyard Birds
http://www.animalden.com/4160.html
Animal Lovers Gift Store - gift items and merchandise on specific animals, pets, cats, dog breeds and wildlife.
Home
Barnyard Birds Bugs ... Wildlife
To see more products, click an animal category listed above.
This Ferret calendar features wonderful Ferret pictures which will be enjoyed all year. Working with top photographers and artists, pictures on the Ferret wall calendar are approximately 12" x 12". The Ferret calendar makes a nice gift.
Home
Barnyard Birds Bugs ... Special Friends Club Secure online ordering, 100% Guaranteed. Read what others say about us.
Info

Your comments and ideas are welcomed. af@animalden.com
Please tell your friends about the Animal Den ®.
Don't forget to bookmark us. http://www.animalden.com

73. Reintroduction Of Native Species On The Colorado Plateau
Survival of blackfooted ferrets. Journal of wildlife Management 62 643-653. Brown,DE 1983. The wolf in the southwest The making of an endangered species.
http://www.cpluhna.nau.edu/Change/reintroduction.htm
Search the CP-LUHNA Web pages
Agents of Change
Climate
Forest Management

Grazing
...
Water Development
Special Topics
Arroyo Cutting
Native Use of Fire
Reintroduction of Native Species
Sources United States Geological Survey Biological Resources Division and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Most Colorado Plateau ecosystems have been reduced functionally and ecologically by the loss of native species . Today, several reintroduction programs are underway:
The Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Program
Mule Pack pup m580 released May 23, 1999. Photo by Janet Reed, USFWS. The Mexican gray wolf ( Canis lupus baileyi ) is the southernmost occurring, rarest, and most genetically distinct subspecies of gray wolf in North America. Mexican gray wolves, or lobos, were once common along the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau. They roamed the ponderosa pine and mixed-conifer forests of the Mogollon Rim and White Mountains and extended south and eastward to central New Mexico, western Texas, and northern Mexico. By the early 1900's, however, growing numbers of livestock in the region and fewer and fewer natural prey species resulted in increasing numbers of livestock losses to wolves. Intensive efforts by the federal government were largely successful in eradicating Mexican wolves by the middle of this century. Since then a few wolves have been caught and killed; the last confirmed wild Mexican wolf was reported in the United States in 1970 and in Mexico in 1980.

74. Pet Supplies Dogs Ferrets Cats
Pets. Pet supplies and accessories for dogs, ferrets, birds and more. of gift itemsand merchandise on specific animals, pets, cats, dog breeds and wildlife.
http://www.linkstoall.com/pets.html
Pet Supplies
Pet supplies and accessories for dogs, cats, ferrets, birds and more.
Also coupons from various pet supply companies.
Animal Den

Carries a wide assortment of gift items and merchandise on specific animals, pets, cats, dog breeds and wildlife. Shop for shirts, mousepads, address labels, mugs, calendars, jewelry and more. Audubon Workshop
The Wild Bird Specialists. Everything from specialty feed and houses to Bird Friendly Pesticides and Lawn products.
Click here
to get $20 off any order of $40 or more on all of Audubon Workshop's great birding supplies! DogToys.com - Celebrating 35 dog years online!
The Ferret Store

Your one stop shop for ferret supplies. Also carries products for dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, chinchillas, small animals and more! The Ferret Store...pet supply delivery worldwide for you and your pets! International orders are always welcome.
FREE SHIPPING on all orders of $25 or more in the contiguous United States. Petsmart.com
Thousands of products for dogs, cats, birds, fish, reptiles and small pets. Also includes information and guides about pets.
20% off your pet supply purchase of $75 or more.

75. CA Ferret FGC Outline
ferrets are so curious by nature and must investigate every new thing they encounter(even big things with sharp teeth), wildlife is a threat to ferrets!
http://www.worldzone.net/family/secretweasel/legalweasel/FGCoutline.html
LEGALIZE FERRETS! On April 6, 2000, the California Fish and Game Commission is holding a hearing in Sacramento to discuss removing the domesticated pet ferret from the 1933 list of prohibited wild animals . That's right, despite being lovable, playful, sweet, companion pets, ferrets are illegal in California only because, 70 years ago, they were put on this wild animal list (along with wolves, elephants, anteaters, lions, tigers, bears, rhinoceroses, zebras, etc.). The argument against legalizing ferrets is based on the irrational fear that they may be a threat to wildlife if they escape and if they form feral breeding colonies. Since ferrets are kept indoors, usually in cages, are almost always neutered, and don't survive long without human care, there's no reason to believe they're a threat to wildlife. Ferrets are so curious by nature and must investigate every new thing they encounter (even big things with sharp teeth), wildlife is a threat to ferrets! Whoever said "curiosity killed the cat" never met a ferret. Commissioner Theriot                 Extra copy to:  Mr. Bob Treanor, Executive Director

76. Wild Ferrets
GIVE THE GIFT OF wildlife! Blackfooted ferrets are the rarest mammalsin North America. Once nearly extinct, ferrets are making
http://www.ferrethaven.org/blackfooted.html
Wild Ferrets
Help The Ferret Haven By the Sea by shopping at The Ferret Store! BLACK-FOOTED FERRET
RECOVERY IMPLEMENTATION
TEAM

Cochise
Kiva Cochise was born on the 5th of June, 1996 at the Louisville Zoo in Louisville, Kentucky. He moved to the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo in Nebraska in October 1996. He was one of six kits (baby ferrets) born to Sia and Matthew. Chochise is very territorial and quite vocal whenever someone approaches his nestbox. He enjoys hidning in paper sacks provided by the ferret keepers. His personality might best be described as "fiesty!"
Cochise weighs 994 grams. Kiva was born the 6th of June, 1996 at the Louisville Zoo in Louisville, Kentucky to Hopi (mother or "dam") and Kiowa (father or "sire") and was one of a litter of four. "Kiva" is the name of the ceremonial structure created by the Hopi tribe. Her litter mates were all released into the wild young, so they were not named. Kiva was bred by Cheyenne last year and had a litter of one male and five females, named "Cacique" (the chief Hopi priest who cares for the kiva), "Adobe" (southwestern brick), "Anasazi" (a pre-historic southwest tribe, pre-Hopi), "Mohave" (tribe of the Yuma Nation), "Nampeyo" (a female Hopi potter), and "Seri" (a Mexican plains tribe).
This year, Kiva whelped (birthed) a litter of four males and three females. She is a ferret who needs lots of toys and enrichments to occupy her time, or she tends to get into trouble. She enjoys attacking a Gumabone® wishbone that dangles above her tunnel opening.

77. Black-Footed Ferrets: Life Behind The Mask National Zoo/ FONZ
wildlife authorities had captured six ferrets the preceding year, and decidedto trap the remaining individuals rather than risk another winter dieoff.
http://natzoo.si.edu/Publications/ZooGoer/2000/5/blackfootedferrets.cfm

Home
Publications Zoogoer Ferret them Out ...
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Focus on Science Weekend
Saki monkey born in the Small Mammal House
What Primates Think
What's Ailing Asia's Vultures
All at Sea in a Wild Wales
National Zoo Accreditation
In this Issue Black-Footed Ferrets: Life Behind the Mask Ferret Them Out Multiply and Conquer: A Front Royal Strategy Giant Steps ... ZooGoer Related Resources Small Mammals
North America

Join FONZ
to receive ZooGoer in your mailbox! Black-Footed Ferrets: Life Behind the Mask by Alex Hawes Conservation at the close of the 20th century: The ferret population is now one percent larger. To the casual observer, artificial insemination (AI) may appear intrusive, if not downright rude. But as black-footed ferrets ( Mustela nigripes Little Room on the Prairie A half-million or more black-footed ferrets once inhabited wide swaths of the North American grasslands, which stretched unbroken from southern Canada across the western Great Plains to northern Mexico. Until the arrival of white settlers, an estimated one quarter of this vast landscape more than 100 million acres was pocked with prairie dog ( Cynomys sp.) burrows channeled deep into the soil in a maze of tunnels and chambers. The largest prairie dog complex, in Texas, measured 100 miles long and 250 miles wide (more than twice the size of Maryland) and contained perhaps 400 million prairie dogs by one estimate. Ferrets slept, hid, mated, and gave birth in these burrows, and prairie dog meat formed 90 percent of their diet.

78. QUESTION OF THE DAY: Should California Legalize Ferrets? (8/29/02)
list of prohibited wildlife domesticated pets are personal property and shouldn'tfall under the control of a wildlife agency. Domestic ferrets are legal
http://www.kovr13.com/08aug02/respond082902.htm

KOVR 13 /
QUESTION OF THE DAY / RESPONSES
Should California legalize ferrets?
80% Yes:
20% No:

"Sure. I am by no means a ferret lover, but I do question a state that won't allow ferret ownership but will allow us to own pit-bulls. I've heard arguments that ferrets are actually wild animals. When was the last time anyone - in any state - saw a wild ferret? They are also affraid that ferrets will be released into the wild, and then we will have feral ferrets in our open spaces... Well which is it? Are they wild, and supposed to in the wild, or are they domesticated animals that we fear will be released. Because it would seem to me that releaseing an animal into the wild that is supposed to a wild animal in the first place isn't an issue."
Ryan / Sacramento, CA
"Yes. There is no reason to make criminals out of otherwise law-abiding citizens, simply for their choice of domesticated companion animal. Are 48 other states wrong"
Karen Pinney / Roseville, CA
"No. We already have enough weasel-like creatures in the state!! The Davis Administration and state legislature are full of them!!"
George / Elk Grove, CA

79. ENDANGERED In The Wild : North America
Fish coordinates the Species Survival Plan (SSP) for blackfooted ferrets. Captivebreeding populations are maintained at the Sybille wildlife Research Station
http://www.bagheera.com/inthewild/van_anim_ferret.htm
BLACK-FOOTED FERRET North America Unknown The rarest native mammal in the United States, the black-footed ferret is a short-legged, slender-bodied weasel. It measures just 1 1/2 feet (46 cm) nose to tail. This small carnivore once was widely distributed throughout the North American Great Plains from Alberta, Canada, south through the Rocky Mountains to the southwestern United States. The last wild black-footed ferrets were taken into captivity in 1987. Today, the ferrets have been reintroduced to a few limited areas in the state of Wyoming.
Natural History
The black-footed ferret is a nocturnal prowler whose fate is closely tied to that of the prairie dog. The ferret eats ground squirrels, mice, birds, and insects. It lives in burrows dug by prairie dogs, which also are its primary prey. A colony of prairie dogs 100 to 148 acres in size is necessary to support one ferret.
Causes of Endangerment
Killing of Prey and Habitat Loss
Massive hunting and poisoning campaigns against the prairie dog, its main food source, caused the ferret to decline. Since the pioneers arrived on the Great Plains, ranchers and farmers have conducted an extensive campaign to get rid of prairie dogs, which were considered pests. Discovery of sylvatic plague in the colonies stepped up efforts to eliminate the prairie dogs. From 1900 to present, prairie dog populations plummeted to about 5 to 10 percent of their former numbers.

80. The Home Range, Spring 2000
Tribal wildlife managers have protected prairie dog towns where ferrets are beingreintroduced by banning recreational shooting, but this fall plague killed
http://www.predatorconservation.org/predator_info/grassland_predators/learn_more
Predator Conservation Alliance Newsletter Article Home About Us Predator Information Get Involved
FWS Identifies Path to Ferret Recovery,
Now Agencies Just Need to Follow It
By Jonathan Proctor, Spring 2000
Given recent information on the declining status of prairie dog species and the obligatory relationship between prairie dog conservation and ferret recovery, the need to focus greater management attention on sites with the best remaining prairie dog habitats, as well as those that have good future prairie dog management potential, has become urgent.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) took a strong step toward black-footed ferret recovery in 1999 by identifying all prairie dog complexes that may qualify as eventual ferret reintroduction sites (ferrets live in prairie dog burrows and eat prairie dogs). The list includes nine primary, seven secondary, and several long-term potential reintroduction areas. Now that we know where to focus our ferret recovery efforts, we must ensure that all of these sites are managed for eventual ferret reintroductions. As of today, ferrets live in the wild in only six places in the U.S, and only one site is considered to have a strong chance of success.
In order to be downlisted from "endangered" to "threatened" under the definitions of the Endangered Species Act, the black-footed ferret needs to be successfully restored to at least 10 locations. Ferret populations need a prairie dog complex of at least 10,000 acres to ensure long-term survival. Identifying 10 sites has proven to be impossible since 10 areas of this quality probably no longer exist. But the new FWS list acknowledges this fact and therefore recommends that several more sites be managed for increased numbers of prairie dogs so that they will qualify in the near future.

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