Black Footed Ferret Conservation
By Travis Goebel
Black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) once ranged from
northern Texas to southern Canada. Its range stretched
from the foothills of the Rocky Mountains through the
grasslands of Kansas, Nebraska and the Dakotas. As the
prairie was settled, native grasslands were plowed into
farmland eliminating prairie dog habitat. As prairie dog
numbers declined , black footed ferrets nearly disappeared.
The ferret was officially listed as an endangered species
in 1967.
In 1981, a ranch dog near Meeteetse, Wyoming chased
and killed the only black footed ferret anyone had seen in
many years. The single specimen was proof the species
still survived. Soon after, conservation efforts and surveys
to locate any remaining black footed ferrets in the
wild began.
Since 1994, black-footed ferrets have been released on
several Montana sites, within a designated, experimental
black-footed ferret recovery area in Phillips County,
Montana. Within this area is the BLM 40-Complex
black-footed ferret release site. Captive-reared blackfooted
ferret kits have been released within the 40-Complex
for four consecutive fall releases (2001-2004), a total
of 95 ferrets. Spotlight surveys are conducted periodically
to monitor survival rates. Establishment of blackfooted
ferrets in this area has yet to occur. Prairie dog
densities and sylvatic plague may be responsible for insufficient
survival and reproduction to produce a growing
ferret population.
In 2003, investigating potential effects of plague on ferrets
became the focus of research efforts on the 40-Complex.
In addition, prairie dog populations were monitored
(i.e., visual count surveys, burrow density surveys
and the periphery of colonies were GPS mapped).
Early in the ferret reintroduction program, the threat of
plague was recognized to be serious, but was thought to
be limited to reductions in (or elimination of)
the prairie dog prey base. This year’s proposal
is to continue enzootic plague investigations
and plague vaccine field trials on the 40-
Complex. The objectives of this research effort
are to investigate if enzootic plague may
affect black-footed ferret survival; and productivity
and determine the effect of vaccination
against plague on black-footed ferret survival
in the wild.
ZooMontana is an educational arm towards
black footed ferret recovery. We house aging,
“retired” breeders from the Bowdoin National
Wildlife Refuge, our current male, Lauren, sired
3 litters of kits before his retirement. The Zoo’s
role is to raise awareness of the plight of the
black footed ferret, one of the most endangered
animals in the world.
Osprey Pole
On Tuesday, October 19th at 9 AM, ZooMontana, Wild Birds Unlimited, Yellowstone Valley Audubon Society and Yellowstone Valley Electric Co-op combined their efforts to erect an Osprey nesting platform.
The platform and pole went up on the western edge of ZooMontana near Canyon Creek.
Osprey, large raptors or birds of prey known often as long-winged “fish hawks”, have been recovering in recent years after a decline in population in the 1960s due mainly to the pesticide DDT. However, with the ban of DDT in 1973 and conservation efforts like these man-made nesting platforms, the Osprey are no longer an endangered species.
Osprey have a white head and black eye stripe that extends to the back of their necks. They
stand up to 2 feet tall and have a narrow wingspan of up to 6 feet that enable them to maneuver easily and dive quickly. They are known for their feet-first plunge into the water to catch their prey with their toes, or talons, which pierce the fish’s skin. Because of their fish diet, Osprey live near water habitats such as rivers, marshes and bays, as well as lakes and reservoirs.
These nesting platforms are ideal for the Osprey population, who choose to inhabit elevated structures that offer an unobstructed view of the landscape near and around the body of water. They are found mainly along the East and West coasts, across most of Canada, as far North as Alaska and as far South as South America. Because of their tendency to stay near the coast, most inland areas are only fortunate enough to see them during their migrations. However, Osprey are actually breeding here in Montana.
This area’s Osprey population has expanded successfully in recent years. More adults are now looking for new nesting sites. It is because of this opportunity to become a key player in the conservation of the Osprey population that have the parties involved so excited. The platform’s pole will be donated and installed by the Yellowstone Valley Electric Co-op, and the Yellowstone Valley Audubon Society will provide the platform itself.
Once the platform is constructed, ZooMontana will wait patiently for a pair of Osprey to move in and start rearing their young.
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