The Black-footed Ferret Facts

The Black-footed Ferret also known as the American polecat or Prairie Dog Hunter. The black footed ferret is probably the rarest wild animal in North America. In 1982 the last surviving group of wild black-footed ferrets consisted of only 60 animals. They were immediately put under protection and by 1984 the number increased to 129. 

Sadly, a year later, they were wiped out by disease.The last 31 were captured and placed in wildlife reserves. When the numbers increased to over 300, some were released back into the forest. 

One of the reasons why the black-footed ferret is struggling to survive is because the prairie dog i.e. the main sources of their food and has been nearly wiped out by ranchers 'who consider the dog a pest and a threat to their livestocks'.