U.S. Fish and Wildlife employee Tom Allen and National Park Service ranger Mary Laycock willing to the black-foot ferret hide in the black tube. NPS Photo by Mike Laycock.
Another dozen black-foot ferrets now calls National Park of the Wind Cave in South Dakota home, the result of pest to prevent their release elsewhere in the West.
Park officials say that the ferrets-seven males and five women-were bred in captivity at the National Black-Footed ferret Conservation Center in northern Colorado.
The Park has not say when the 12 ferrets were originally proposed to set free, but noted that outbreaks of sylvatic plague that decimated areas prairie dog
population, of the fret main food source.
"We are pleased to work with the u.s. Fish and Wildlife Service to assist in the conservation of these rare animal," said park Superintendent Vidal Davila. "These animals will be a welcome addition to the Park the established ferret population. "
Of the Park black-foot ferret population was estimated to be around 35-40 animals prior to this release. considered one of the rarest land mammals in North America, these animals, life the weasel family members, usually only two to three years in the wild. forty-nine-animals were released in the Park in 2007.
