History
The black-footed ferret
(Mustela nigripes) is the only ferret species endemic to North America and has
been classified as an endangered species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
since l967. Within the genus Mustela, ferrets belong to the subgenus Putorius,
from which there are only three extant species: M. putorius, the European
polecat; M. eversmanni, the Siberian, or steppe polecat; and M. nigripes, the
black-footed ferret. The European polecat lives in open forests and meadows,
and is thought to be the ancestor of the domestic ferret. The Siberian polecat
looks nearly identical to the black-footed ferret and leads a similar life on
open grasslands and semi desert regions across Russia, China and Siberia.
Ferrets probably evolved in Europe, between three and four million years
ago, from weasel-like ancestors. The earliest known ferret species, M.
stromeri, probably gave rise to M. putorius and M. eversmanni during the middle
Pleistocene. Ferrets dispersed from Siberia into North America during the late
Pleistocene across the Bering land bridge, and advanced southeastward to the
Great Plains through ice-free passageways. Over thousands of years of
coevolution with prairie dogs as prey, their behavior and biology gradually
changed to suit their environment, and thus, they evolved into today's
black-footed ferret. Although the first occurrence of black-footed ferrets is
uncertain, scientists speculate that the species has probably been present in
North America for at least 100,000 years. Molecular data collected from
black-footed ferret specimens indicates that this species diverged from its
Siberian counterpart between 0.5 and 2 million years ago. |
 Black-footed ferrets once occurred in grassland habitats
throughout the Great Plains in 12 states and 2 Canadian provinces, and possibly
portions of northern Mexico. Originally, the prairie dog ecosystem occupied 20
percent of the entire western rangeland, allowing ferrets to cover a large
geographic range. Today, less than 2 percent of their original geographic
distribution remains. The black-footed ferret's current status is a sign of
this encroached and depreciated ecosystem. |
 Native Americans
knew of the close association between prairie dogs and ferrets, which have
coexisted for many thousands of years. Skeletons of both ferrets and prairie
dogs have been found in camps occupied by prehistoric Indians, and various
tribes had different beliefs about ferrets. Pispiza etopta sapa, meaning
"black-faced prairie dog" is the Sioux Indian name for the black-footed ferret.
The Pawnees call it "ground dog" and gave the ferrets special powers in their
stories. The Navajo Nation refer to the ferret as Dlo ii liz-hinii and used
ferret body parts and skins for medicinal purposes and ceremonial adornments.
The Cheyenne and Blackfeet tribes decorated chiefs' headdresses with their
furs. The Hualapai Indians, who traditionally regard all living things that
come out at night as sacred, call the black-footed ferret Na-math. The Crow
used ferret skins in sacred ceremonies as medicine bundles. These skins,
stuffed with cotton and decorated with leather, cloth, bells and feathers can
be seen in several museums in the West.
Throughout their history,
black-footed ferrets have been elusive. None of the early explorers, mountain
men, or pioneers who crossed the Great Plains by wagon-train ever mentioned
ferrets. They were occasionally listed in fur company records from the upper
Missouri River basin in the early to mid-1800s. Black-footed ferrets were not
officially recognized by scientists until 1851 in a book by naturalist John
James Audubon and the Reverend John Bachmann. Even then, their existence was
questioned since no other ferrets were reported for over twenty years.
|
 In the
1950s, ferrets were still thought to occur in low densities throughout most of
their historic range. By the 1960s, the only known population of black-footed
ferrets was a small colony in southwestern South Dakota. That colony was
studied from its discovery in l964 until it disappeared in l974 for unknown
reasons. With the disappearance of the South Dakota colony, biologists feared
the species was extinct, or existed in such small populations that natural
disaster or disease would eventually eliminate them. |
 In 1981, a
black-footed ferret was killed by a ranch dog in northwestern Wyoming. This
event led to the dramatic discovery of a small group of about 130 ferrets near
Meeteetse, Wyoming in 1984 and offered a ray of hope for the species. Research
conducted on the Meeteetse ferrets provided important new information on the
life history and behavior of this secretive mammal. Tragically, outbreaks of
sylvatic plague and canine distemper nearly killed all of the Meeteetse
population. The remaining 18 ferrets were taken into captivity between 1985 and
1987 in an effort to save the species. At that time, these last known ferrets
were probably the rarest mammals on earth.
The captured ferrets from
Meeteetse were taken to a captive breeding facility in Sybille Canyon, Wyoming
(now known as the National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center). In 1987, a
captive-breeding program was initiated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, and the American Zoo and Aquarium
Association. This program has since expanded to include 6 captive breeding
facilities in zoos across North America, including the National Zoo's
Conservation and Research Center, Front Royal, VA; Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo,
Omaha, NE; Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Colorado Springs, CO; Louisville Zoological
Gardens, Louisville, KY; the Phoenix Zoo, Phoenix, AZ; and the Toronto Zoo,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada. |
 Since 1991,
federal and state agencies, in cooperation with private landowners,
conservation groups, Native Americans, and the North American zoo community,
have been actively reintroducing ferrets back into the wild. Beginning in
Wyoming, reintroduction efforts have since expanded to sites in Montana, South
Dakota, and Arizona. Proposed reintroduction sites have been identified in
Colorado and Utah.
The Recovery Plan for the black-footed ferret calls
for the establishment of 10 or more separate, self-sustaining wild populations.
By the year 2010, biologists hope to have 1500 ferrets established in the wild,
with no fewer than 30 breeding adults in each population. If these objectives
are met, the ferret could be downlisted from endangered to threatened
status.
To learn more about efforts to save the black-footed ferret,
click here.
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