Rare Ferrets Thriving

Rare ferrets seem to thrive
BY BECCY TANNER AND TRAVIS HEYING
The Wichita Eagle

Love blossomed on the Kansas prairie this spring and summer.

Some of the 24 rare black-footed ferrets reintroduced to western Kansas last December survived -- and at least four reproduced, wildlife volunteers confirmed after attempting to count the ferrets last week.

"The results have been superb," said Ron Klataske, executive director of Audubon of Kansas. The exact count is unknown. Klataske is hopeful that a third to half of the ferrets released in December survived.

The newest residents of Logan County are grouchy and reclusive. They can be spotted only briefly at night and are often tricky enough to avoid human contact.

But Thursday night, volunteers finally captured one of the ferret young. They checked his health, gave him a microchip and released him.

"He was chattering at us and barking at us. He was feisty," said Samantha Wisely, assistant biology professor at Kansas State University. "The moms are more mellow. They were captive raised and have seen people before. It was really nice to see a wild-born acting up and not wanting to be around people. He was doing his thing."

That's the best officials could have hoped for.

The young ferret is probably from the first litter of ferrets born in Kansas in more than 50 years.

Black-footed ferrets were believed to be extinct, until a small colony was found near Meeteetse, Wyo., in 1981. A successful captive breeding program has led to the reintroduction of the endangered species in several Plains states.

Federal wildlife officials hope to establish 10 self-sustaining populations across the nation by 2010, with 1,500 breeding adult ferrets. They plan to release an additional 30 ferrets on the same Logan County land in October.

Wildlife experts checked in on the ferrets last week to see how they were getting along.
All week long, beams of light scanned western Kansas cattle pastures like floodlights searching a prison yard.

The ferrets live in prairie dog holes and prey on prairie dogs. "Their eyes will be bright green," Klataske said. "Almost teal, really, and brighter than any other eyes you'll see out here." Wednesday night, volunteers like Klataske had little luck.

Klataske figured his best chance was to return to a prairie dog hole where a ferret had been seen the previous night. Much to his surprise, the hole had been filled in by prairie dogs attempting to entomb the small predator before it got to them.

Klataske dug out the hole, planted a trap, and hoped for the best, knowing it was unlikely the ferret would emerge from the same hole and into his trap.

The traps were checked hourly. In the meantime, Klataske continued searching the landscape for the bright green eyes. There was no shortage of jackrabbits, coyotes, deer and even a burrowing owl. But no ferrets.

Finally, at 5:30 a.m., Klataske's searchlights revealed what looked like two bright emeralds.
"It's a ferret!" he exclaimed. "And he's in the trap."

The ferret was a male. A microchip confirmed that it was one of the original 24 released last December. The ferret was sedated while biologists and veterinarians looked it over for ticks and parasites, vaccinated it and judged how it had been doing. All indications were that the animal was thriving.

Two hours after its capture, the ferret was taken back to the hole in a pet carrier and released. After a quick look around, it scurried into the hole.