BLACK-FOOTED FERRETS IN WYOMING

One of North America’s most endangered mammals, the black-footed ferret, will be the topic of the January meeting.

In July of 2016, 35 ferrets were released on the Lazy BV and Pitchfork Ranches, outside Meeteetse, Wyoming. This is the same spot where ferrets were rediscovered 37 years ago when they were thought to be extinct.
Ferrets were reintroduced to the Shirley Basin 27 years ago. This was the first wild reintroduction site in the country and remains the largest lasting reintroduction sites. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department continues to monitor both sites annually. The ferrets that were found near Meeteetse in 1981 were captured and served as the basis for the captive breeding program that was started in 1986. Since the program began, ferrets have been reintroduced to two sites in Wyoming, as well as in South Dakota, Montana, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Canada and Mexico.

Wyoming Game and Fish Non-Game Biologists Nichole Bjornlie and Dana Nelson will present the program about the ferrets, their ecology, and their status in Wyoming. Please join us on Friday, January 10, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. at the Izaak Walton Clubhouse located at 4205 Fort Caspar Road for this program.