a team from the World Wildlife Fund works the night shift to ensure a future
works the night shift to ensure a future
works the night shift to ensure a future for one of the rarest mammals in North
for one of the rarest mammals in North
for one of the rarest mammals in North America at the end of this bumpy ride
America at the end of this bumpy ride
America at the end of this bumpy ride across the Dakota Plains is a colony of
across the Dakota Plains is a colony of
across the Dakota Plains is a colony of mammals still struggling back from the
mammals still struggling back from the
mammals still struggling back from the brink of extinction
and our job tonight is to catch ferrets
and our job tonight is to catch ferrets from previous years and also pick up a
from previous years and also pick up a
from previous years and also pick up a few juveniles young of this year who
few juveniles young of this year who
few juveniles young of this year who haven’t been marked yet see the bright
haven’t been marked yet see the bright
haven’t been marked yet see the bright green eyes shine by the light of the
green eyes shine by the light of the
green eyes shine by the light of the moon and headlamps the team captures the
moon and headlamps the team captures the
moon and headlamps the team captures the small animals close to a dozen each
small animals close to a dozen each
small animals close to a dozen each night for a ferret physical we just set
night for a ferret physical we just set
night for a ferret physical we just set them in the hole
them in the hole
them in the hole so it’s triggered by we try to make this
so it’s triggered by we try to make this
so it’s triggered by we try to make this a natural extension of the burrow system
a natural extension of the burrow system
a natural extension of the burrow system impossible and then it’s triggered by
impossible and then it’s triggered by
impossible and then it’s triggered by when the third comes up and steps on
when the third comes up and steps on
when the third comes up and steps on this treadle because they’re very
this treadle because they’re very
this treadle because they’re very curious animals and they won’t be able
curious animals and they won’t be able
curious animals and they won’t be able to abide staying down there very long
to abide staying down there very long
to abide staying down there very long without coming up to see what’s going on
without coming up to see what’s going on
without coming up to see what’s going on okay this is a juvenile any of that you
okay this is a juvenile any of that you
okay this is a juvenile any of that you know this is a young one probably a
know this is a young one probably a
know this is a young one probably a young female just bite-sized how you
young female just bite-sized how you
young female just bite-sized how you doing good the black tubes too clicks
doing good the black tubes too clicks
doing good the black tubes too clicks her into the darkness of the two and if
her into the darkness of the two and if
her into the darkness of the two and if she were transponder diff she had a chip
she were transponder diff she had a chip
she were transponder diff she had a chip in her you can’t read it in the metal
in her you can’t read it in the metal
in her you can’t read it in the metal trap so you have to transfer them anyway
yeah Travis I ended up with female KITT
yeah Travis I ended up with female KITT okay gas is on inside the trailer the
okay gas is on inside the trailer the
okay gas is on inside the trailer the team puts technology and pharmaceuticals
team puts technology and pharmaceuticals
team puts technology and pharmaceuticals to work we’re going to put a microchip
to work we’re going to put a microchip
to work we’re going to put a microchip in do the vaccine we’ll get a little
in do the vaccine we’ll get a little
in do the vaccine we’ll get a little hair sample so they can do DNA tracking
hair sample so they can do DNA tracking
hair sample so they can do DNA tracking on it we’ll get a swab of the inside of
on it we’ll get a swab of the inside of
on it we’ll get a swab of the inside of the cheek so they can do DNA on it too
the cheek so they can do DNA on it too
the cheek so they can do DNA on it too he’s gonna do some prevent
he’s gonna do some prevent
he’s gonna do some prevent it doesn’t know plague vaccine this is
it doesn’t know plague vaccine this is
it doesn’t know plague vaccine this is like liquid gold almost this is an
like liquid gold almost this is an
like liquid gold almost this is an experimental vaccine that as we’ve
experimental vaccine that as we’ve
experimental vaccine that as we’ve gotten ahold of in the ferret program we
gotten ahold of in the ferret program we
gotten ahold of in the ferret program we know that in lab trials it works very
know that in lab trials it works very
know that in lab trials it works very well on black-footed ferrets and this is
well on black-footed ferrets and this is
well on black-footed ferrets and this is good old Clary all nice and easy natural
good old Clary all nice and easy natural
good old Clary all nice and easy natural black number 122 we can put a little bit
black number 122 we can put a little bit
black number 122 we can put a little bit a little bit black dye on his neck and
a little bit black dye on his neck and
a little bit black dye on his neck and then you know it’s somebody we already
then you know it’s somebody we already
then you know it’s somebody we already trapped up we don’t have to deal with
trapped up we don’t have to deal with
trapped up we don’t have to deal with them okay his head’s here here we go we
them okay his head’s here here we go we
them okay his head’s here here we go we we put them back in the same burrow from
we put them back in the same burrow from
we put them back in the same burrow from where we trap them especially the kits
where we trap them especially the kits
where we trap them especially the kits especially the young of the year because
especially the young of the year because
especially the young of the year because they’re still potentially tied to their
they’re still potentially tied to their
they’re still potentially tied to their to their mother
to their mother
to their mother you got you got lucky they usually go
you got you got lucky they usually go
you got you got lucky they usually go right down the hole that’s cool there’s
right down the hole that’s cool there’s
right down the hole that’s cool there’s no textbook a lot of captive breeding
no textbook a lot of captive breeding
no textbook a lot of captive breeding reintroduce black-footed ferrets so a
reintroduce black-footed ferrets so a
reintroduce black-footed ferrets so a lot of this was learned by trial and
lot of this was learned by trial and
lot of this was learned by trial and error during 85 87 they were able to
error during 85 87 they were able to
error during 85 87 they were able to trap the last 18 bifida fertile existed
trap the last 18 bifida fertile existed
trap the last 18 bifida fertile existed Meeteetse Wyoming those animals went to
Meeteetse Wyoming those animals went to
Meeteetse Wyoming those animals went to a captive breeding center in Wyoming and
a captive breeding center in Wyoming and
a captive breeding center in Wyoming and that’s when the captive breeding effort
that’s when the captive breeding effort
that’s when the captive breeding effort started big male just take a look at it
started big male just take a look at it
started big male just take a look at it here we’ve got a little boy all the
here we’ve got a little boy all the
here we’ve got a little boy all the blood sweat and tears that myselfin
blood sweat and tears that myselfin
blood sweat and tears that myselfin other individuals in this program are
other individuals in this program are
other individuals in this program are really paying off we have wild black
really paying off we have wild black
really paying off we have wild black food ferrets reproducing on the ground a
food ferrets reproducing on the ground a
food ferrets reproducing on the ground a fully fledged self-sustaining population
fully fledged self-sustaining population
fully fledged self-sustaining population here in South Dakota
here in South Dakota
here in South Dakota it’s just four most satisfying feelings
it’s just four most satisfying feelings
it’s just four most satisfying feelings I’ve had my career so far
the team has worked the night shift on
the team has worked the night shift on this Prairie for five years to ensure
this Prairie for five years to ensure
this Prairie for five years to ensure these black footed creatures their
these black footed creatures their
these black footed creatures their historic plan
”
Be First to Comment