The Decades-Long Fight to Save America’s Black-Footed Ferrets | WILD HOPE

Black-footed ferrets, North America’s only native ferret, still depend on humans for survival. That’s why a dedicated team has engineered new and innovative tools to help them make it in the wild.
Known as the “masked bandit of the prairie,” the black-footed ferret is an important predator in the central North American grasslands. After surviving multiple brushes with extinction, it is making a remarkable return to its home on the prairie. Thanks to the combined efforts of scientists and indigenous communities, the species was rescued and now has a robust captive population, complete with adorable baby ferrets and even the first cloned U.S. endangered animal.
Following reintroductions to the wild, new challenges like sylvatic plague arise for conservationists. Since every ferret on the prairie is precious, scientists have developed cutting-edge tools to keep them safe and healthy, including special cameras to detect ferrets in the dark and disease-busting food pellets distributed by ATV and drone. Together, these ferret-friendly tactics are helping the masked bandit population grow, and in turn, bring balance back to North America’s grassland ecosystem.
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[@lynseaa]

"Prairie dogs are the chicken nuggets of the prairie ecosystem" has to be one of the all-time greatest conservation quotes.

[@maridiancrest243]

Does that make Furrets the chicken tenders?

[@ConstantChaos1]

Yeah it's a solid line, I've used it multiple times while I volunteered at a conservation zoo (well just chicken nugget but still) they really are tho so it's a fair assessment and it definitely got laughs when it was used to teach us about our projects to teach the public.

[@lennarthagen3638]

@@ConstantChaos1 no you didnt use that line

[@BAndres1]

I can't believe the black footed ferrets almost went extinct😮. I'm glad to see these cute animal's around. Thanks to these wonderful people that made this happen 😊

[@Reppintimefitness]

Thanks PBS

[@Northcountry1926]

💝⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@tonysmith7632]

Many genuine Thanks to every person involved in restoring black footed ferrets.

[@gencochran]

So proud of my Son Tevin 🥹💕 30 seconds into watching this and I was already crying 🤣😭

[@ElysetheEevee]

I died when the one ferret dragged the other off like a chew toy.😂

[@ConstantChaos1]

That's just how ferrets be my guy, and that's exactly why I love em.

[@annalisadeal2922]

They're so adorable. I love them

[@shawneldridge4465]

pbs always comes up with the greatest wildlife shows to give us to watch. I enjoy them all and thank you for what you do, you're awesome PBS

[@mmps18]

What beautiful creatures. Thank you to the conservationists and thank you Nature on PBS for sharing this incredible story!

[@june2420111]

They're so cute!

[@Morgan-pf8nu]

Good for you guys!!

[@reddhafallen7289]

Your BFF (Best Friend Forever), the BFF (Black Footed Ferret).

[@MonsterHunterxRWBY]

Why not both?

[@Les1986-x5t]

You must me 5 years old​@@MonsterHunterxRWBY

[@goldheart320]

In 1984, my husband finished his Masters in Environmental Science. I was accepted to the University of Wyoming Masters Program in Graphic Design. We moved to Laramie Wyoming, Fall of 1984. My husband accepted a job where he and a team went out into the praire and searched for Black Footed Ferrets. They didn't find any, but it is wonderful to know that the ferrets are thriving today.

[@nicolemittman3223]

Last summer I did prairie dog and ferret work in Shirley Basin, just north of Laramie and the first reintroduction site (I believe in the 90s is when they returned). Happy to report that the population there is one of the most robust in North America, and we did do supplemental releases last fall, but they are pretty much self sustaining there as of now. It’s likely they have dispersed all around Laramie wherever there are prairie dog colonies- it’s tough to know exactly where though due to poor private land access. There was recent confirmation of an individual near Centennial at the base of the Snowies, quite far from the original reintroduction sites!!

[@esthermarcen7587]

wow I learned a lot. thanks

[@windlessoriginals1150]

Thank you

[@user-bi9jj6gz1q]

We rabbit hunted with them for decades and helped keep the population diverse along with other hunters that we bred with.

[@Shae_Sandybanks]

🥺🥺🥺 aww they're too cute

[@nilanjanachatterjee9023]

Excellent video 😊

[@debbralehrman5957]

Nice 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[@suecastillo4056]

Their little ears!! They missed it… should’ve called her Elizabeth Ferret Browning, not Elizabeth Ann… I’ve had many domestic ferrets. They are precious little scamps and are very similar to these wild ones…Adorbs!!!! Thanks for saving these guys!!!♥️🙋‍♀️☮️🙏🏻

[@litepaw7]

3:40 No, they were invaders and colonists, not settlers.

[@Lucarioguild7]

Especially wild to call them settlers while they're working with a mostly Native American team too

[@matthewcauthorn9731]

Wow so profound

[@Alex-ki1yr]

❤

[@geoffreyrichardson8738]

Good on ya all

[@carolinechew2432]

Where did the plague come from?!? Originally?!?

[@johnortmann3098]

This is the same plague that affects humans, it's just called "sylvanic plague" when it affects animals. If memory serves it was brought into the U.S. via San Francisco in the 1800s, probably from Asia. There are many animal species in the West that carry it without ill effect. Unfortunately, prairie dogs and ferrets are highly susceptible to it. There are a few cases of human plague in the West every year, contracted from animals. If caught early it's easily treated with antibiotics.

[@nicolemittman3223]

Europe, which is why North American wildlife does not have resistance against it. Sylvatic plague is essentially the rodent (and ferret) version of the bubonic plague. Yes, that plague. Same bacterium causes it in humans and wildlife alike.

[@IrmaReyes-f6g]

❤❤

[@albatross4920]

Do the ferrets ever hunt other small critters, or is there some exclusive dietary need for prairie dogs? Either way, this is one of my all time favorite conservation stories 💜☮️🤘🏾

[@nicolemittman3223]

Almost exclusively prairie dogs. As in, 90% or more of their diet. They’ll opportunistically take other prey that lives in prairie dog colonies such as 13-lined ground squirrels, but they are very much a specialized predator of the prairie dog. This specialization is why ferrets have suffered so much with the loss of prairie dogs while other, more generalized predators of the prairie dog (like coyotes) have fared much better since they can get their calories from other sources if their favorite hunting grounds is poisoned out. Ferrets on the other hand, don’t really live outside of prairie dog colonies. No prairie dogs, no black-footed ferrets.

[@WildernessEnigmas]

The life of animals in the wild is much harder than that of humans

[@phoebebouton9551]

Humans don't have the instincts anymore to survive in the wild, except for a few. We make it difficult, the wild know survival.

[@michaelmassaro4375]

@@phoebebouton9551because we’ve evolved past living in the wild mankind goes forward not backward

[@phoebebouton9551]

@DonnellOkafor-pd7yn we need to practice our instincts! Survival sir!

[@fatteebaddee]

Humans make the life of animals hard so humans can exist, i.e. taking over wildlife habitat, etc

[@fatteebaddee]

​@@michaelmassaro4375 LoL hahaha we go forward not backward, if you say so, all our modern problems were created going forward, sounds backward to me not progress

[@theoverlanderutv2747]

I literally finished watching joe pickett on prime last night and then check my KZbin and ended up watching this today. Smh life can be so funny sometimes

[@RiddledEnigma93]

A jackass cousin of mine had 2 ferrets running loose in his house, the moment I walked in, it smelled of urine from them even coming from the litter box they used. Had to walk out as I couldn't handle the smell.

[@peasinourthyme5722]

The subs are 12 seconds late...really annoying. Other than that, yeeeaii for a new episode!

[@suecastillo4056]

How can I help?♥️

[@Northcountry1926]

🫡

[@btbarr16]

Is this where the Blackfoot tribe gets their name?

[@michaeldufresne9428]

What they don't mention how little genetic diversity there is within the population. Remember, they are all the progeny of the original 24 wild caught ferrets.

[@soltcolt4506]

Their fur is pretty, I guess that's the reason why they almost went extinct.

[@eewilson9835]

Please do not interact feeding them and destracting them from an animal world, they lose the ability to undulate their neck and that is how they hypnotize their prey for a peaceful exchange of kind hunter living. The Mighty Weasel, Ermine, Stoat, Prarie Dog, and Ferret.

[@jaredknapp8886]

Kitten snakes!

[@Dazzalingfossil6040]

Has anyone else ( besides me. ) stumble across this video after watching Zefrank1's "Rise of the kitten snakes" video?