Dec 27, 2005
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| A black-footed ferret roams the Aubrey Valley in Arizona. |
"We're seeing many signs of success in the ferret reintroduction project each year, but 2005 marks the best year yet," says Bill Van Pelt, head of bird and mammal programs for the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
Biologists thought the black-footed ferret was extinct in the late 1970s, but then about 120 of the animals were found in the mid-1980s in Wyoming. In 1985, after two disease outbreaks had killed most of the remaining ferrets, the last 18 were captured to start a breeding program. The ferrets' offspring now live at eight reintroduction sites in the United States and Mexico, including one in Arizona's Aubrey Valley outside Seligman. Captive-born ferrets are periodically released into the wild there.
Every spring and every fall, biologists take high-powered spotlights out for five nights in the Aubrey Valley in northwest Arizona to monitor the ferret population. These surveys are done at the times of year when the ferrets spend the most time above ground. During this year's two surveys, the team spotted a record number of black-footed ferrets and also trapped (and then released) a total of 35. That means the individual trapping count went up almost 50 percent, from 24 ferrets last year.
"In addition to the high total numbers from the year's two ferret surveys, the project is also seeing more ferrets reproduce in the wild," says Carrie King, head of the field portion of the Arizona Game and Fish Department's ferret reintroduction project.
Over the course of the year, crews trapped a record 29 wild-born ferrets. All were released after biologists marked them with electronic tags. The electronic tags help biologists individually identify each ferret, and all captive-born ferrets have the tags, too.
"Several factors are contributing to the success of this project," says King. "We release pregnant females each spring. That's the time of year when prairie dogs, the ferrets' main source of food, are born. We also precondition ferrets bred in captivity before they are released."
The Aubrey Valley has a ferret preconditioning and breeding facility, where captive-born ferrets are kept in outdoor pens to get them used to their new surroundings over the winter before releases. Biologists also make sure the ferrets can avoid predators and kill prey for themselves before they're released into the wild.
Black-footed ferrets are related to weasels. They can grow to be up to 2 feet long and can weigh up to 2 1/2 pounds. One ferret can give birth to three to five kits each year. Before reintroduction, the last black-footed ferret found in Arizona was in an area between Williams and Flagstaff in 1931.
The black-footed ferret reintroduction is a joint effort of the Arizona Game and Fish Department, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Phoenix Zoo, the Navajo Nation, Arizona State Land Department, Hualapai Nation and the Cholla Cattle Company.
The ferret reintroduction project looks for volunteers each year to help with its spring and fall spotlighting surveys. Those interested can call (928) 422-0155 or e-mail azferret@azgfd.gov.