Adopt a Ferret

Did you know that the black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) is the only species of ferret native to North America? Our domesticated ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) come from Europe. Black-footed ferrets were thought to be extinct until a Wyoming farmer found one in 1981. The species remains one of the most endangered mammals in North America, second only to the Florida panther. That it is no longer the most endangered mammal is in large part thanks to the work being done by the Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Program. The captive breeding program began in October of 1985, and nearly failed when all of the captive animals died of canine distemper. The program struggled along with increasing success for the next 10 years. Then (from their web site)...

"The Black-footed Ferret Recovery Implementation Team (BFFRIT) was created in 1996 to more effectively integrate the expertise and resources of various parties contributing to the recovery of the black-footed ferret. The BFFRIT is a multi-agency/ conservation organization effort, led by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which includes representatives from federal and state governments, zoos, and nonprofit organizations. The team was created pursuant to Section 4(f)(2) of the amended Endangered Species Act which authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to procure the services of appropriate public and private agencies, institutions, and other qualified persons to help implement endangered species recovery plans. The goal of the Black-footed Ferret Recovery Plan is to establish 10 or more widely separated, self-sustaining, wild black-footed ferret populations in order to consider downlisting of the species to "threatened" status. Although the role of the BFFRIT is strictly advisory in nature, the team assists in the development of national guidance, provides recommendations to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding the appropriate conduct, methods, and priorities for ferret recovery efforts, and reviews any future revision or update of the black-footed ferret recovery plan."

As part of the BFFRIT's fund-raising and public education efforts, and in cooperation with the Prairie Wildlife Research organization, we can adopt a Black-Footed Ferret of our own for just $25. The money goes towards purchasing vaccines, supplies and equipment needed for the captive breeding and reintroduction program. You will receive a Certificate of Adoption; a biography, color photograph and updates about your adopted black-footed ferret and species recovery; and a magnet with species information.

This brings new meaning to BFF, doesn't it?

Black-Footed Ferrets in Steamy Sex Scandal

It's all over the internet... Romance novelist Cassie Edwards used entire passages from Paul Tolme's article in her book, Shadow Bear. Reading Paul's article about the incident in Newsweek had me laughing out loud.

"They are so named because of their dark legs," Shadow Bear says, to which Shiona responds: "They are so small, surely weighing only about two pounds and measuring two feet from tip to tail."

Shiona then tells Shadow Bear how she once read about ferrets in a book she took from the study of her father. "I discovered they are related to minks and otters. It is said their closest relations are European ferrets and Siberian polecats," she says. "Researchers theorize that polecats crossed the land bridge that once linked Siberia and Alaska, to establish the New World population."

I know that the language in romance novels can be often be stilted, but a pioneer woman talking about "Researchers theorize" and the Bering land bridge and "the New World" was just too funny.

That said, I'm glad she did it. Had she not, I might not have discovered Paul Tolme's articles, and that would have been unfortunate indeed. In addition to "Toughing It Out in the Badlands", which provided that scintillating post-coital conversation in "Shadow Bear", I highly recommend "Pure Poison" about proposals to kill thousands of prarie dogs in South Dakota. As any ferret fan knows, those endangered prarie dogs are vitally important to the survival of the black-footed ferret, the only native species of ferret we have.

In future entries, I will be writing more about this situation, as well as discussing the importance of the very same prarie lands these animals live on to our ecological well-being. In the meantime, I hope you will enjoy Paul Tolme's articles as much as I have, and be sure to visit his web site for even more great articles.