Everyone thought the black-footed ferret was extinct.
That is, until a dog named Shep brought a ferret to his owner, a Wyoming rancher, in 1981. Shep’s discovery created a unique opportunity for biologists to band together and save the species. Today, Wind Caves National Park is an integral part of a carefully monitored effort to save the species.
The black-footed ferret
The black-footed ferret is a member of the weasel family. They are about two feet long from tip to tail and have long slender bodies. Their name comes from their dark brown or black legs that contrast from their otherwise light brown fur, and are also easily identified by the dark “bandit mask” around their eyes.
Black-footed ferrets are one of the most endangered mammals in North America and are the only ferret species native to the continent. They are a key indicator species for the grassland ecosystem. Historically, their range extended throughout the eastern and southern Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains.
The ferret evolved to depend on a healthy prairie dog population for survival. Prairie dogs make up 90% of a ferret’s diet and their burrows are utilized by ferrets for shelter and raising young. Living close to their prey means that ferrets have a warm place with plenty of food that helps them survive harsh winters.
When farmers and ranchers arrived at the American prairie and began cultivating the land, they saw prairie dogs as pests and approximately 98% of the prairie dog population was poisoned or had their habitat converted to cropland. As prairie dog populations declined, so did the ferrets.
Coming back from extinction
The black-footed ferret was placed on the U.S. Endangered Species List in 1967 and was thought to be extinct by 1979. After the 1981 discovery in Wyoming, conservationists stepped in and began a captive breeding program for the surviving ferrets.
Since 1992, breeding centers have bred over 9,000 offspring. 250-350 breeding adults are kept in captivity and 4,300 have been reintroduced to 30 locations across the Midwest. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has also used innovative techniques in cloning to introduce genetic diversity to the population.
But black-footed ferrets aren’t out of the woods yet. Habitat loss and non-native disease still threaten species recovery. Prairie dog populations are only at about 5% of what they were historically, according to the Center for Biological Diversity.
With few healthy habitats for reintroduction and lack of plague protection, the recovery effort is still fraught with challenges.
Wind Caves conservation efforts
Wind Cave National Park was established in 1903 to protect the expansive cave network that sprawls for miles under South Dakota. But after it was established, Congress realized that the prairie ecosystem above the cave was also in danger. In 1912, the government created Wind Cave National Game Preserve, and the park’s mission was expanded to include the restoration of prairie wildlife in their native range.
Bison, elk and pronghorn were all reintroduced early on, followed by prairie dogs, which are considered a keystone species in the ecosystem.
With a thriving population of prairie dogs, Wind Caves submitted a proposal in 2006 to reintroduce the black-footed ferret within the park under a 10(a)(1)(A) scientific experimental/recovery permit issued under the Endangered Species Act. They argued that “the integrity of the prairie ecosystem in the park would be enhanced with the return of the ferret to its ecological niche.”
The proposal was accepted, and in 2007 scientists released 49 ferrets into the park. Today, the park can support 40-60 black-footed ferrets, depending on annual variation in prairie dog densities.
The park continues its legacy of conservation as they continue to play an important role in reintroducing black-footed ferrets into their native environment after receiving a rare second-chance at survival.
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