CAPTIVE BREEDING

In order to save the species, the remaining black-footed ferrets from a rapidly declining population were removed from prairie dog colonies outside of Meeteetse, Wyoming. The fate of the black-footed ferret was now solely in the hands of captive breeding. Initially, not much was known about the reproductive biology of the black-footed ferret. While earlier attempts to breed members of the Mellette County South Dakota population in captivity were successful in the 1970s, none of the resulting offspring survived. Biologists in the 1980s with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service convened domestic ferret breeders and reproductive experts from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Together, this team of wildlife professional were successful in breeding black-footed ferrets in captivity and formulating a captive breeding program for this endangered species.

Breeding Facilities

​Today there are six facilities that make up the managed BFF Species Survival Plan®(SSP®). These include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center (Colorado), National Zoo’s Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (VA), Louisville Zoological Garden (KY), Toronto Zoo (Ontario, Canada), Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (CO) and Phoenix Zoo (AZ). Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo participated in the SSP® until the late 1990s.

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Kit Production

Black-footed ferrets are seasonal breeders. Facilities begin checking both males and females for reproductive readiness in January. Since the SSP® is genetically a closed population (no new unrelated black-footed ferrets have been found since 1987) all pairings are done to minimize the loss of genetic diversity. The primary task of the SSP® is to produce as many kits as possible to support ongoing reintroduction efforts. Educating people about the BFF and prairie ecosystem is another import aspect of the SSP®.

All ferret kits produced are entered into a studbook. The studbook contains individual animal information (birth, death, transfers & transponder chip) as well as the pedigree of each animal.

Since 1986, over 8,500 kits have been produced at the captive breeding facilities. Facilities that house black-footed ferrets are not open to the public for disease and disturbance concerns. Older, non-reproductive ferrets from the SSP® which are not suitable reintroduction candidates serve as education ambassadors and can be found on display throughout North America.

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Display Facilities

 Although captive-breeding facilities are typically closed to the public, several zoos and museums throughout North American currently have live displays of black-footed ferrets. The map indicates locations where members of the public can view live black-footed ferrets. 

Virtual Displays

 Two virtual displays provide opportunities to view live ferrets from home using live webcams! ​The Fort Collins Museum of Discovery in Fort Collins, Colorado and the Smithsonian's National Zoo each have webcam displays of captive black-footed ferrets. Click the links to view the display. If you don’t see anything now, be sure to check back at night when the ferrets are usually more active!

Click below to view additional educational resource pages.