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 of young of this year we
few juveniles of young of this year we
few juveniles of young of this year we haven’t been marked yet c-break jean i
haven’t been marked yet c-break jean i
haven’t been marked yet c-break jean i shine by the light of the moon and
shine by the light of the moon and
shine by the light of the moon and headlamps the team captures the small
headlamps the team captures the small
headlamps the team captures the small animals close to a dozen each night for
animals close to a dozen each night for
animals close to a dozen each night for a ferret physical we just set them in
a ferret physical we just set them in
a ferret physical we just set them in the hole so it’s triggered by we try to
the hole so it’s triggered by we try to
the hole so it’s triggered by we try to make this a natural extension of the
make this a natural extension of the
make this a natural extension of the Burrow system impossible and then it’s
Burrow system impossible and then it’s
Burrow system impossible and then it’s triggered by when the fair comes up and
triggered by when the fair comes up and
triggered by when the fair comes up and steps on this treadle because they’re
steps on this treadle because they’re
steps on this treadle because they’re very curious animals and they won’t be
very curious animals and they won’t be
very curious animals and they won’t be able to abide staying down there very
able to abide staying down there very
able to abide staying down there very long without coming up to see what’s
long without coming up to see what’s
long without coming up to see what’s going on because it’s a juvenile huh any
going on because it’s a juvenile huh any
going on because it’s a juvenile huh any of that you know this is a young one
of that you know this is a young one
of that you know this is a young one probably a young female just bite-sized
probably a young female just bite-sized
probably a young female just bite-sized are you doing okay buddy go ahead
are you doing okay buddy go ahead
are you doing okay buddy go ahead the black tubes two clicks her into the
the black tubes two clicks her into the
the black tubes two clicks her into the darkness of the tube and if she were
darkness of the tube and if she were
darkness of the tube and if she were transponder diff she had a chip in her
transponder diff she had a chip in her
transponder diff she had a chip in her you can’t read it in the metal trap so
you can’t read it in the metal trap so
you can’t read it in the metal trap so you have to transfer them anyway yeah
you have to transfer them anyway yeah
you have to transfer them anyway yeah Travis I ended up with female KITT okay
Travis I ended up with female KITT okay
Travis I ended up with female KITT okay gas is on inside the trailer the team
gas is on inside the trailer the team
gas is on inside the trailer the team puts technology and pharmaceuticals to
puts technology and pharmaceuticals to
puts technology and pharmaceuticals to work we’re gonna put a microchip in do
work we’re gonna put a microchip in do
work we’re gonna put a microchip in do the vaccine we’ll get a little hair
the vaccine we’ll get a little hair
the vaccine we’ll get a little hair sample so they can do DNA tracking on it
sample so they can do DNA tracking on it
sample so they can do DNA tracking on it we’ll get a swab of the inside of the
we’ll get a swab of the inside of the
we’ll get a swab of the inside of the cheek so they can do DNA on it too he’s
cheek so they can do DNA on it too he’s
cheek so they can do DNA on it too he’s gonna do semper vaccine it does know a
gonna do semper vaccine it does know a
gonna do semper vaccine it does know a plague vaccine this is like liquid gold
plague vaccine this is like liquid gold
plague vaccine this is like liquid gold almost this is an experimental vaccine
almost this is an experimental vaccine
almost this is an experimental vaccine that as we’ve gotten ahold of in the
that as we’ve gotten ahold of in the
that as we’ve gotten ahold of in the ferret program we know that in lab
ferret program we know that in lab
ferret program we know that in lab trials it works very well on black food
trials it works very well on black food
trials it works very well on black food ferrets and this is good old Clara all
ferrets and this is good old Clara all
ferrets and this is good old Clara all nice and easy natural black number 122
nice and easy natural black number 122
nice and easy natural black number 122 we can put a little bit of black dye on
we can put a little bit of black dye on
we can put a little bit of black dye on his neck and then you know it’s nobody
his neck and then you know it’s nobody
his neck and then you know it’s nobody we already trapped up we don’t have to
we already trapped up we don’t have to
we already trapped up we don’t have to deal with them okay his head’s here here
deal with them okay his head’s here here
deal with them okay his head’s here here we go we we put them back in the same
we go we we put them back in the same
we go we we put them back in the same burrow from where we trap them
burrow from where we trap them
burrow from where we trap them especially the kits especially the young
especially the kits especially the young
especially the kits especially the young of the year because they’re still
of the year because they’re still
of the year because they’re still potentially tied to their to their
potentially tied to their to their
potentially tied to their to their mother
mother
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
right down the hole that’s cool
right down the hole that’s cool there’s no textbook on how to captive
there’s no textbook on how to captive
there’s no textbook on how to captive breed and reintroduce black-footed
breed and reintroduce black-footed
breed and reintroduce black-footed ferrets so a lot of this was learned by
ferrets so a lot of this was learned by
ferrets so a lot of this was learned by trial and error during 85 and 87 they
trial and error during 85 and 87 they
trial and error during 85 and 87 they were able to trap the last 18 black for
were able to trap the last 18 black for
were able to trap the last 18 black for difference that existed Meeteetse
difference that existed Meeteetse
difference that existed Meeteetse Wyoming those animals went to a captive
Wyoming those animals went to a captive
Wyoming those animals went to a captive breeding center in Wyoming and that’s
breeding center in Wyoming and that’s
breeding center in Wyoming and that’s when the captive breeding effort started
when the captive breeding effort started
when the captive breeding effort started big deal just take a look at it here
big deal just take a look at it here
big deal just take a look at it here we’ve got a little boy all the blood
we’ve got a little boy all the blood
we’ve got a little boy all the blood sweat and tears that myselfin a lot of
sweat and tears that myselfin a lot of
sweat and tears that myselfin a lot of other individuals have from this program
other individuals have from this program
other individuals have from this program are really paying off
are really paying off
are really paying off we have wild black food ferrets
we have wild black food ferrets
we have wild black food ferrets reproducing on the ground a fully
reproducing on the ground a fully
reproducing on the ground a fully fledged self-sustaining population here
fledged self-sustaining population here
fledged self-sustaining population here in South Dakota it’s us from the most
in South Dakota it’s us from the most
in South Dakota it’s us from the most satisfying feelings I’ve had my career
satisfying feelings I’ve had my career
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
historic
historic America’s plane
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