Finding a Home for the Black Footed Ferret

By Stephanie Bonner

Photo: Paul Marinari/USFWS

Of the three species of ferret in the world, the Black-footed ferret is the only one native to North America. It is adapted to a habitat of temperate grasslands, commonly known as the Great Plains in the United States and Canada. The Black-footed ferret was thought to be extirpated in Canada since 1937, but in 1981 a rancher in Wyoming came across one of these critters, leading to the helped discovery of a small population of ferrets. The population was examined and brought into captivity to establish breeding and reintroduction programs. The initial downfall of the Black-footed ferret is thought to have originated when local farmers were eradicating troublesome prairie dog populations, the ferrets’ primary food source. The discovery of the lone Black-footed ferret population has sparked a hope in reintroducing this species back into Canada.

CWF is proud to be involved in the reintroduction program of the endangered Black-footed ferret in Canada. In partnership with Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA), we will be providing $29,800 in funding over three years to the Toronto Zoo. On October 2, the Toronto Zoo released approximately 30 of these rare species into Saskatchewan’s Grasslands National Park and, through continued research and monitoring, more ferrets will be released in 2010 and 2011.

Canada isn’t the only place that has reintroduced this species, but the Toronto Zoo is the first zoo in the country to join the relocation and reintroduction program. After the ferrets are released, the hope is that they will disperse amongst their habitat. Through intense monitoring on behalf of the researchers, the ecosystem’s effects on the ferrets will be fully understood. There are also precautions to be monitored, as the ferret may have adverse effects on other local wildlife populations. The final goal is to create as natural a habitat as possible without increasing interruptions to any wildlife.

According to the Canadian Recovery Plan, the hope for the wild population of Canadian Black-footed ferrets is to have at least an 80 per cent probability of the species surviving for 20 years. Once the species is stable and its status down-listed, the Black-footed ferret can once again be considered a native species. However, it is not likely that a self-sustaining population of ferrets in Grasslands National Park will be achieved after just one release. To increase the population, additional ferrets will be released annually for at least three years. Continued monitoring will determine if there is a need for regular or occasional releases thereafter.