Arizona wildlife officials have released 19 critically endangered black-footed ferrets in northern Arizona, marking a major step in efforts to reintroduce one of America’s rarest wild animals.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) made a release on March 10 in three areas, with the goal of boosting the small population of the species that was believed to be extinct. Thirteen ferrets were released at Aubrey Valley and Double O Ranch near Seligman, while six more were placed at Garland Prairie near Parks, Arizona. The effort brought together a large group of partners—including the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the US Forest Service, the Arizona State Land Department, Habitat Harmony, the Phoenix Zoo, and the Navajo Nation—all of whom attended or participated in the release process. Jessica Manuell, the newly confirmed Game and Fish Commissioner, was also there.
Despite the release, there is no chance for people to meet the little beast.
“Black-footed ferrets are one of the most endangered mammals in North America, so encounters in the wild are rare. Newsweek. “The department will continue to monitor the active population in the county and will use data collected on these individuals to determine when and where additional releases will occur.”
The animals originated in captive breeding programs at the Toronto Zoo and the Smithsonian National Zoo before being transferred to the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center in Colorado. There, the ferrets learned important survival skills, including hunting, before being released.
Black-footed ferrets are small, slender mustelids. They typically measure 19 to 24 inches in length, including a 5-6 inch tail, and generally weigh 1.4 to 2.5 pounds. Despite their size, mammals are still considered predators. They are completely dependent on prairie dogs as their prey.
“Adding native predators, such as black-footed ferrets, back into the system is part of the state’s natural planning. It’s an important job to be a part of that,” Holly Hicks, small mammal program coordinator for the Arizona Game and Fish Department, said in a press release about ferrets.
AZGFD shared several photos of the release in a post on X on Tuesday.
Black-footed ferrets are the only North American ferret species, easily identified by the black markings on the legs, tail and mask-like facial structure. Once abundant throughout the West, they suffered a catastrophic decline in the 20th century due to habitat loss and disease, particularly the collapse of the wild dog colonies, which serve as their primary prey and the source of their den habitat.
The species was believed to be extinct until a small population was found living in rural Wyoming in the early 1980s. By 1986, there were only 18 people left. Wildlife officials captured them to begin an intensive breeding and reintroduction program that has become one of the most successful efforts to restore endangered species to the wild. Today, about 300 black-footed ferrets live across the country. After the new release, Arizona is now home to about 20 wild people.
State biologists will continue to monitor the newly released ferrets with observational surveys and capture efforts to monitor survival and reproduction. With spring marking the breeding and re-emergence of feral dogs, officials hope that the season will increase the ferrets’ chances of creating wild dogs this year.
When polarized, the center is excluded as dim. To Newsweekours is different: The Center for Courage—it’s not “both sides,” it’s sharp, challenging, and alive with ideas. We follow facts, not groups. If that sounds like the kind of journalism you want to see succeed, we need you.
When you become a Newsweek Member, you support the mission of keeping the organization strong and vibrant. Members enjoy: Ad-free reading, exclusive content and editorial discussions. Help keep the center strong. Enter today.
#critically #endangered #animal #released