[Moderator's note: I held this long post for a while waiting for a light day.
I feel it gets into things a that are a little off topic. BIG]
It is important for me to write to the newsletter on the BFF topic...
This is a much greater issue than just fuzzy buddies being released in the
Badlands... We are talking about one of the most endangered mammal species
on the planet and a wild animal that deserves to remain free and wild.
Please consider that the release of BFF in the 4 to 5 year old category are
still able to breed one or two additional ferrets in a litter. With the small
size of the breeding population available to re-introduce this species to
areas of the wild in the west, it is imperative that these animals be
released. It is also imperative that we realize that as pet ferret lovers
we can with all good intention love this species to extinction.
I spent the last week at the Badlands release site, the Shirley Basin release
site, and the Sybile breeding unit and have met with the Wyoming Game & fish
Department heads in the field regarding this very endangered species which we
spent time with face to face. After spending time in the facility I fully
agree that this is an animal that needs to be free. Nursing homes for
ferrets that are our pets is great. But as a family with four ferret buddies
that we love dearly, I would prefer that my ferrets were capable of living
in the wild like the BFF's are that if given a choice between a slow death by
cancer or a shot at the wild and the Coyotes, I think they might choose the
Coyotes.
As for the South Dakota release program itself, I disagree with the hard
release tactice that they are using to introduce the ferrets to the wild.
They just drop them off and let them go. Wyoming uses a slow release
program with an introduction and cages placed in the terrain along with
limited predator control. This seems to give the ferrets a good chance at
making it. Even so the loss rates of any mammal in the wild is going to be
much highr than for pets. If you are to be upset with anything it should be
with the South Dakota release techniques and not the breeding release
program.
As for BFF's in the older age categories, I met them too. The intent for the
6 and 7 year olds is to keep them alive and perhaps find a way to shelter
them at additional facilities. None are uthanized from what I understand,
and those to old to breed will not be released.
I hope that many of you who love the ferrret as much as I will agree that the
best chance of this species survival is in its eco system. I suppose someday
if these buddies were no longer endangered that we might find a way to add a
few into the pet quality breeding pool. They are really cute and I just love
the babies.
As for personality. These are not like our fuzzy pet buddies. If you stick
your body next to one of these little cutties they do not have a gentle
temperament. They are wild animals that may just instinctively take a chunk
out of you.
Although I may not be abble to answer aall of your questions please write me
and I will try to respond in the newsletter.
In summary I can't stress hard enough how important it is to have even the
older gene pool out in the wild to help the species survive. Please do not
love this species into extinction. Although there are some big mistakes
being made from time to time, this program needs your full support and help
to make it work. If you need to do anything, please help them make it better
and don't try to tear it appart. This is the only program in the country
that is funded and able to give the BFF a chance at survival.
Hal
your can reach me at [log in to unmask]
By the way I own and love 4 ferrets and I am a volunteer worker in a non
uthanizing shelter, the Greater Chicago Ferrret Association. I am presently
involved in a detailed study as well as public presentations introducing the
BFF and its ecological system to school aged children. It is a wonderful
litttle buddy that I would just love to see survive in the wild.
By the way,,,, you might be interested to note that the BFF is not the only
endangered member of the eco system.
If you would like something to get angry about here is where your
frustrations can really be used. ..... Did you know that private laand
owners in Wyoming allow hunting groups to enter their land and use Prairie
Dogs for target practice. Parties of 10 to 15 people will go to Wyoming with
20,000 rounds of ammunition and just start plunking at Prarie dogs. Talk
about a senseless waste.... you know a few BFF's are probably gong to get
shot as well wwhile they are just plunking. I guess man ran out of Bison to
blow away for no purpose so now they have to shoot PD's....
Before you defend PD hunters... did you know that the eco system that
includes our ferret buddy, contrary to some unsupported thought, actualy ends
up improving the soil and the range for catttle as well.
Did you know that the Bison were much better for the health of the range than
cows who have a much different grazing pattern... We aalready did a lot of
damage to the range when we took the Bison from perhaps millions to a few
thousand. Will the loss of prairie dogs and BFF's end up breaking the eco
system even farther. None of us knows natures clock or the amount of time a
endangered specie lost will take until its impact is felt on the eco system.
What;s worse is we do not know how one eco system impacts another system or
exactly what the key life for is that holds all eco systems together.
BFF's are not pets, help them survive. Don't try to make them a pet. Let
them live there life free.
Sometimes when I look at my ferrets, I know they too want to be free, just
like us. I also know that if i let them go they could never survive. Our
pets just are not equipped with the instincts for that. Even though I give
them a large room to run free in, my heart acches when I can see they want to
run and be free and I just can't let them go. Our ferrets are not like other
domestic animals. They have just a bit of that free spirit left in them.
Best wishes to you all. I know some of you will never be able to see what I
am talking about. The BFF should be born free and we should be jealously
guarding and protecting their future. It just might be our own.
[Posted in FML issue 1236]
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