Madeline asks:
>anyone know why the wild ferrets are released into the wild right
>before winter?

The fall is the natural time when kits would leave their mothers and
find their own homes, and experience has shown this is the optimal
time for release. If kits were remained in captivity over the winter
and released in the spring, it would be harder for them to learn how
to survive on their own, and breeding season would already be in full
swing and a distraction. There would also be the problem of not enough
places to keep them, as the kits would need to be separated from their
mother and each other as they reach maturity.

Most releases are done late in the day. Black-footed ferrets are
released by suitable burrows, and the hope is that they will stay
underground for the night and get their bearings.

Linda

[Posted in FML 6478]