I am writing in response to Juan's (?) message about his desire to educate
ferret owners in Mexico and to protect the wild population as well.  That's
great that you want to ensure that pet owners know how to care for them but
the wild population should not be protected at all.  To the contrary - it
should be trapped out (live or kill traps).  Ferrets (Mustela putorius
furo) are not native to Mexico and should not be allowed to exist in the
wild.  There are already far too many cases where introduced animals have
decimated wildlife.  In New Zealand, introduced ferrets and mainly
introduced weasels (Mustela erminea) have caused a serious decline in
populations of ground nesting birds.  In North America, cats are a large
problem.  Feral cats have decreased the numbers of native species of birds.
I know that we all love ferrets but on this continent, the domesticated
species is not native and should not be allowed to exist in the wild.  It
is not worth the risk they pose to native wildlife.
 
kristin peterson
[Posted in FML issue 1313]