so in 1979 the black-footed ferret was declared extinct and then in 1981 it was
declared extinct and then in 1981 it was
declared extinct and then in 1981 it was rediscovered outside of Meeteetse
rediscovered outside of Meeteetse
rediscovered outside of Meeteetse Wyoming and that really turned the
Wyoming and that really turned the
Wyoming and that really turned the conservation world upside down so a
conservation world upside down so a
conservation world upside down so a captive breeding program was started in
captive breeding program was started in
captive breeding program was started in about 1985 because what they found was
about 1985 because what they found was
about 1985 because what they found was that small population of wild ferrets
that small population of wild ferrets
that small population of wild ferrets started to die off they made the
started to die off they made the
started to die off they made the decision to capture up as many as they
decision to capture up as many as they
decision to capture up as many as they could that was a group of 18 individuals
could that was a group of 18 individuals
could that was a group of 18 individuals and they started the current captive
and they started the current captive
and they started the current captive breeding program US Fish and Wildlife
breeding program US Fish and Wildlife
breeding program US Fish and Wildlife Service that’s very successful today the
Service that’s very successful today the
Service that’s very successful today the National black-footed ferret
National black-footed ferret
National black-footed ferret Conservation Center is the only captive
Conservation Center is the only captive
Conservation Center is the only captive breeding center like it in the world and
breeding center like it in the world and
breeding center like it in the world and we house three-quarters of the world’s
we house three-quarters of the world’s
we house three-quarters of the world’s population and every year we produce
population and every year we produce
population and every year we produce about 250 newborn ferrets
about 250 newborn ferrets
about 250 newborn ferrets we called them kits and a majority of
we called them kits and a majority of
we called them kits and a majority of those kits are released into the wild if
those kits are released into the wild if
those kits are released into the wild if you were black footed ferret and you
you were black footed ferret and you
you were black footed ferret and you wanted to pick away to survive you would
wanted to pick away to survive you would
wanted to pick away to survive you would hit your wagon to prairie dogs they’re
hit your wagon to prairie dogs they’re
hit your wagon to prairie dogs they’re an obligate predator on prairie dogs and
an obligate predator on prairie dogs and
an obligate predator on prairie dogs and prairie dogs are very very resilient
prairie dogs are very very resilient
prairie dogs are very very resilient species but all that changed when we
species but all that changed when we
species but all that changed when we settled the country because we started
settled the country because we started
settled the country because we started off farming the country which reduced
off farming the country which reduced
off farming the country which reduced the habitat available for prairie dogs
the habitat available for prairie dogs
the habitat available for prairie dogs later on we decided that we needed to
later on we decided that we needed to
later on we decided that we needed to increase agricultural production from
increase agricultural production from
increase agricultural production from the standpoint of domestic livestock and
the standpoint of domestic livestock and
the standpoint of domestic livestock and so we poisoned prairie dogs in order to
so we poisoned prairie dogs in order to
so we poisoned prairie dogs in order to have more forage for cattle and other
have more forage for cattle and other
have more forage for cattle and other livestock and finally we introduced
livestock and finally we introduced
livestock and finally we introduced inadvertently an exotic disease sylvatic
inadvertently an exotic disease sylvatic
inadvertently an exotic disease sylvatic plague from the old world of the new
plague from the old world of the new
plague from the old world of the new world and prairie dogs and ferrets had
world and prairie dogs and ferrets had
world and prairie dogs and ferrets had not adapted to that disease had not
not adapted to that disease had not
not adapted to that disease had not evolved in the presence of it so they
evolved in the presence of it so they
evolved in the presence of it so they were very susceptible to
first thing in the morning when I get to
first thing in the morning when I get to work we do a morning walk through to
work we do a morning walk through to
work we do a morning walk through to make sure that all of our ferrets have
make sure that all of our ferrets have
make sure that all of our ferrets have eaten from the night before and just do
eaten from the night before and just do
eaten from the night before and just do a general check on the health of the
a general check on the health of the
a general check on the health of the colony so we just do a very brief visual
colony so we just do a very brief visual
colony so we just do a very brief visual inspection we check their eyes make sure
inspection we check their eyes make sure
inspection we check their eyes make sure that they don’t have an infection or
that they don’t have an infection or
that they don’t have an infection or swollen we check to make sure they’ve
swollen we check to make sure they’ve
swollen we check to make sure they’ve been nursing you can see the little milk
been nursing you can see the little milk
been nursing you can see the little milk corners at the corners of their mouths
corners at the corners of their mouths
corners at the corners of their mouths and just a quick overall body inspection
and just a quick overall body inspection
and just a quick overall body inspection and sometimes we’ll double check the sex
and sometimes we’ll double check the sex
and sometimes we’ll double check the sex so this is a nice fat healthy meal we
so this is a nice fat healthy meal we
so this is a nice fat healthy meal we find that the ferrets have a high
find that the ferrets have a high
find that the ferrets have a high susceptibility to a lot of diseases
susceptibility to a lot of diseases
susceptibility to a lot of diseases probably stemming from their inbreeding
probably stemming from their inbreeding
probably stemming from their inbreeding as a result of their very small founding
as a result of their very small founding
as a result of their very small founding population of the captive ferret
population of the captive ferret
population of the captive ferret population right now so today we’re
population right now so today we’re
population right now so today we’re going to treat these kits and they’re
going to treat these kits and they’re
going to treat these kits and they’re down because they have a coccidia
down because they have a coccidia
down because they have a coccidia overdose and that’s a very common
overdose and that’s a very common
overdose and that’s a very common disease we see breakout and sure it’s a
disease we see breakout and sure it’s a
disease we see breakout and sure it’s a lot whole carcass spray is very
lot whole carcass spray is very
lot whole carcass spray is very nutritious food for the ferrets so the
nutritious food for the ferrets so the
nutritious food for the ferrets so the kits start getting them at day 35 I get
kits start getting them at day 35 I get
kits start getting them at day 35 I get asked a lot of times why do we spend so
asked a lot of times why do we spend so
asked a lot of times why do we spend so much effort saving one species the
much effort saving one species the
much effort saving one species the black-footed ferret when it appears what
black-footed ferret when it appears what
black-footed ferret when it appears what ecosystem seems to be fine and I always
ecosystem seems to be fine and I always
ecosystem seems to be fine and I always say you have to look at it as not just
say you have to look at it as not just
say you have to look at it as not just that one animal but the impact that it’s
that one animal but the impact that it’s
that one animal but the impact that it’s had on the entire ecosystem where the
had on the entire ecosystem where the
had on the entire ecosystem where the animal lives what the staff here does
animal lives what the staff here does
animal lives what the staff here does every day I think it’s probably some of
every day I think it’s probably some of
every day I think it’s probably some of the most important work in the
the most important work in the
the most important work in the conservation world today every day we
conservation world today every day we
conservation world today every day we see hundreds of species disappear on
see hundreds of species disappear on
see hundreds of species disappear on this planet and it’s it’s an honor to
this planet and it’s it’s an honor to
this planet and it’s it’s an honor to work in a program where we have an
work in a program where we have an
work in a program where we have an opportunity to really bring back a
opportunity to really bring back a
opportunity to really bring back a species and the ferret is a perfect
species and the ferret is a perfect
species and the ferret is a perfect conservation vehicle for the short grass
conservation vehicle for the short grass
conservation vehicle for the short grass prairie we know that where its habitat
prairie we know that where its habitat
prairie we know that where its habitat where it lives there’s other species
where it lives there’s other species
where it lives there’s other species like the Swift fox and the burrowing owl
like the Swift fox and the burrowing owl
like the Swift fox and the burrowing owl and the Prairie rattlesnake so all these
and the Prairie rattlesnake so all these
and the Prairie rattlesnake so all these other species are brought along with the
other species are brought along with the
other species are brought along with the ferret in saving its habitat
ferret in saving its habitat
ferret in saving its habitat you
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