Well, Bob Voyage is actually early tomorrow, but to save money, I'm
shutting down many of my home services for the time I will be gone,
including DSL. I thought I would answer a few of the questions about
my ferret research project that have been emailed to me before I lose
the internet.

Are you going to be killing feral ferrets?:

One person was very upset thinking I would be killing feral ferrets
while in New Zealand. I will ONLY be looking at feral ferrets that have
been killed by official agencies as part of the Tb monitoring program,
pest control, or roadkill. I might be on hand when some of these feral
ferrets are euthanized, but I will not take part in it, nor have a
deciding vote. I am simply salvaging information from an event that
would have occurred regardless. In my opinion, the collection of data
from dead ferrets at least places some meaning to those deaths, so the
loss can help other ferrets.

Who are some of the scientists associated with this project?:

Dr. Michelle Hawkins at UC Davis will be in charge of the DNA samples
that I collect. There is a very well known vet (who wants to remain
anonymous) who is in charge of my research design. The list of people
I will be working with, visiting, publishing with, and even staying
with is very long, and I haven't been given permission yet to release
their names (not a requirement, but a polite and respectful way to do
business). I have no desire to keep secrets, but many of these people
are extending a generous hand and I will grant them the respect of
asking permission prior to releasing their identities.

Can people donate money towards the project? How can you afford such a
trip?:

I discussed some of this a couple of days ago, but some people seemed
confused. First, I am not non-profit; this is a private research
project. At the insistence of several people on the FML whom I respect
very much, I will accept donations provided it does not take away from
ferret needs (Ferrets First!). So far one person just wants to buy me
a dinner, another wants to sell items on eBay to trickle in some
donations, and someone else has generously funded some transportation
costs (I would name them, but have yet to get their permission).

I forgot to budget for gifts and Jeanne Carley generously donated
calendars and postcard books to make up for my bumbled planning and
scattered brain. Kim Schilling helped with some of my computing needs
and acts as a sounding board for my ideas. A world class ferret vet
who has requested anonymity has provided funding that made the trip
possible, and will fund much of the post-trip research costs. My Dutch
family at Stichting De Fret has long supported this research through
various means; if not for their generosity, I would not have gathered
the data that made this research even remotely possible.

I refinanced my house and put the equity into paying for my home
expenses while I am gone, to care for my ferrets, as well as my
personal costs prior to and on the trip (get 4 months of prescription
medications and check out the total...cost more than my airline
ticket). For the last few years when I traveled to give talks, I made
it a requirement for clubs to refund gas costs, and I have placed ALL
those monies into this project. Even so, I will probably have to cancel
ferret trips for some time to come so I can recover financially -- or
at least ask for more than just gas costs; it looks like I'll probably
also have to skip the 2008 IFC Symposium because of financial
constraints caused by this trip. If anyone thinks this is a vacation,
just a bit of fun, then they need to stop smokin' the crack. Just
flush it, dude!

Because of the ongoing devaluation of the dollar compared to world
currencies, a significant part of my funding has evaporated before
it was even spent. That will place a burden on finishing the research
before I run out of funds, so donations will be cheerfully and
gratefully accepted. Just email me for particulars. You should note
one aspect of funding this project: with the exception of Stichting De
Fret, not a single ferret club or organization has donated a solitary
penny, nor as much as a letter of support, towards this research. This
has been paid for by *individuals*. When the papers start trickling out
in major publications, it will be individual names in the
acknowledgement list, not organizations or clubs. I am NOT making a
complaint; it is merely to point out that this is probably one of the
largest and most extensive ferret research projects ever done and may
*ever* be done, and -- excluding noteworthy help from Stichting De
Fret -- it has been completely financed by individual ferret people.
Little amounts help and they are sincerely appreciated, so don't
underestimate the value of a kind gesture.

Will you return in time of TLE's housework?:

I had better! My daughter Gloria is due with my grandson Ryan the week
before. I can't miss my grandson being born, can I?

I could work for years and never finish. This project is a study in
sampling technique: random, geographically diverse, and a dedicated
effort to sampling to redundancy. Getting the range of samples is more
important than finishing in one particular area. There may be times I
won't finish at a collection, but if I have to sell a kidney, I'll get
the range of work done.

Will you collect DNA from [North American] ferrets? Can we collect it
for you?:

To be honest, it is not just the DNA that is important, but the
information tied to it. For example, I am taking precise measurements
of specific points on living ferret heads and bodies so I can
construct an "average ferret," with standard deviations and other cool
statistical words. This would give breeders a baseline to judge if
breeding is shifting genetics to the dark side of the equation. It
also tells us what "normal is" in a ferret and if a ferret is actually
abnormal. It gives me empirical evidence of the changes caused by
neutering, caging, diet, etc. I think other people can make as accurate
and precise measurements as I, BUT, I am not convinced my precision
and accuracy would match theirs. I am also filling out a 4 page
questionnaire on each ferret that will help correlate husbandry to
specific health problems. I'll be scoring teeth and health parameters,
and more. There is more besides rubbing a swab on the inside of the
cheek and pulling out a few hairs involved. That is not to say a monkey
can't do it; I obviously can. I am just trying to keep observer error
to a minimum and I already bought the masks and gloves. In grad school
we had a saying, "No one can duplicate your measurements, not even
yourself half the time." I am just trying to keep the study consistent.

I absolutely want to collect North American DNA, and it would be much
cheaper because I would drive my own vehicle and do a lot of camping.
I think it could be a shared cost with clubs; they ask me out, I give
a talk or two (slides of the Ferret Project trip, anyone?), and spend
the evening plucking hair and scraping cheeks. The clubs pay for travel
expenses, I do the work, the DNA can get funded, and we all win. If
clubs would do that, I could get data and DNA comparable to what I will
be doing in Europe AND I could have it done by the end of the year.
That would be a very good thing and you could be a part of it.

How about it clubs? Want to make a real difference in ferret knowledge?
Be a part of the project!

WIll you bring me back some dark chocolate?:

Well, depends on what you have in trade. ;-)

I apologize for the rambling post, but there have been so many emails
asking questions that I knew I couldn't answer them unless it was done
here. There are many more questions, but I just don't have the time to
address them at the moment.

Early tomorrow morning, I leave. I'll be in Auckland early in the
morning on Saturday. Then the real work begins. I'll post frequent
updates on the FML. Wish me luck!

Bob C [log in to unmask]

[Posted in FML 5910]