Summary
Arizona wildlife officials released 19 endangered black-footed ferrets into the wild to help strengthen their population. The ferrets, once thought extinct, were released as part of efforts to restore this rare predator in the U.S. The release involved several partners and took place at multiple sites in northern Arizona.
Key Facts
- Nineteen black-footed ferrets were released in northern Arizona to boost their numbers.
- Releases occurred in areas like Aubrey Valley, Double O Ranch, and Garland Prairie.
- The effort involved various partners, including U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Navajo Nation.
- The ferrets came from captive breeding programs in Canada and the U.S.
- Black-footed ferrets mainly prey on prairie dogs and need these to survive.
- The species was thought extinct until a small number were found in Wyoming in the 1980s.
- Arizona is now home to about 20 wild black-footed ferrets after this release.
- Wildlife officials will continue to monitor the ferrets to assess their adaptation and reproduction.
