Ferrets Show Up In Canada & The Prarie Dogs' Big Move

After disapearing 70 years ago, thirty capitve-breed, black-footed ferrets were realeased into Canada's Grasslands National Park in October of 2009. These playful little creatures have been thought to be extinct since the 1960's, and it was only by accident that the furry little friends are here today. The black-footed ferret was scattered from Canada to Mexico. The ferret's reason for 70 years of extinction because of the Prarie Dog's dissapearences. The prarie dog's tunnles stretched for miles, but some envirmentalists removed many of the millions of tunnels.

 Now, the prarie dogs were scheduled to be relocated in the ferret recovery area on Thunder Baisin in the near future, sharing with their old preditors, the Black-Footed Ferret.

“What I find the most valuable about this project are the relationships that have been cultivated as a result of this collaboration,” said Cristi Painter, U.S. Forest Service wildlife biologist on the Douglas Ranger District in Wyoming. “I think that it lays the ground work for the future in finding creative long term solutions to manage prairie dogs that will meet the needs of everyone.”

~PEYTON STROUP, SEPTEMBER 1,2010 8:31:25 P.M.