by B. Stone

Created on: February 11, 2009   Last Updated: March 06, 2009

The black-footed ferret, the only indigenous ferret species in North America, has been listed as endangered since 1967. It is one of the many species that fell victim to the destruction of the prairie ecosystem. The total number of black-footed ferrets reached an all-time low of 18 back in 1984. Since then, efforts have been made to increase ferret populations, and reintroduce the black-footed ferret into the wild. The hope is that this small, elusive animal that was once the rarest creature in the world, will be moved off the endangered species list forever.

The first ferrets evolved in Europe millions of years ago. Around 100,000 years ago, ferrets migrated to North America across the Bering Straight land bridge, settling in what is now the Great Plains of the United States, parts of Canada and Mexico. These ferrets became the species known today as the black-footed ferret. Native Americans lived for centuries in harmony with these slender, wiry mammals. Many different tribes incorporated ferrets into their stories and legends. The Navajo called it Dio ii liz-hinii, and used parts of the ferret for healing. The Hualapai Indians called black-footed ferrets, Na-Math. They regarded Na-Math as sacred, as an animal that came out at night. The Crow Indians made ferret skins into medicine bundles used in ceremonies.

The black-footed ferret was officially recognized in 1851 by the naturalist John James Audubon. Before that time, the European settlers of North America hadn't made any record of ferrets, most likely because they are so difficult to find. By the 1960's there was only one known population of black-footed ferrets, in southwestern South Dakota. In 1974 the colony mysteriously disappeared. It was believed at this point that the black-footed ferret had become extinct, but then ten years later a colony was stumbled upon in Meeteetse Wyoming. There were 130 black-footed ferrets in the Meeteetse population. Unfortunately, the sylvatic plague, a plague spread by small rodents, wiped out all but 18 ferrets. The survivors were taken into captivity, to a breeding facility in Sybille Canyon, Wyoming. After successfully breeding the ferrets, six more facilities have been established across the United States, with two in Canada. The National Black-Footed Ferret Conversation Center was set up in Sybille Canyon. Since the early 1990's, there have been re-introduction efforts by federal and state agencies, Native Americans, and conservation groups. Black-footed ferrets

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