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  Destinations: Reintroduction of the Black-footed Ferret to Badlands NP
The black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) is considered to be the most endangered land mammal in North America.Thought to be extinct in the 1970s, a small colony of this small member of the weasel family were found on a ranch near Meteetse, Wyoming. Canine distemper swept through the colony, killing all but 18 ferrets. They were trapped and protected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. From these remaining animals has developed a captive breeding program in U.S. and Canadian zoos.
The black-footed ferret is a prairie resident that is dependent upon extensive prairie dog colonies for survival. With the depletion of prairie dog towns throughout the twentieth century has come the near extinction of this ferret. Badlands National Park has been selected as one of the areas to reintroduce captive-bred ferrets. Native to the park, approximately 25 to 30 individual ferrets now live in wilderness areas of Badlands. Park staff are encouraged by the presence of wildborn kits (young ferrets). In fact, the wildborn ferrets are now producing young of their own. Located in southwestern South Dakota, Badlands National Park consists of nearly 244,000 acres of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires blended with the largest, protected mixed grass prairie in the United States. Related Articles
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