Ed - there were two ferrets in the baby's home and only one acted
assertively (notice I didn't say aggressively).  Wouldn't this indicate
that ferrets are as individual as we and other animals are?  As for the
ankle nipping (and I say nipping as apparently the wife did not need to
seek medical attention for her injuries - if indeed there were any) - it is
obvious the ferret couldn't climb up the woman's legs so the next step
would be to nip to get attention for what it wanted, to be picked up to
investigate the noise.  As for the babies crying, well, I'm one of those
people that that particular pitch grates on my nerves.  Uh, certain squeaky
toys too.  I do question your quickness to assume it was a predator/prey
response and not considering it could have been one of extreme curiousity
(my little Pumkin will go into a flurry to get to what he wants - no
biting, but he will scratch, zoom, climb, whatever - to get to your soda
and he is quite determined), or maternal instinct.
 
It seems that just as some people may not want to admit that a ferret
might harm an infant, you don't want to admit that there may have been
another reason for the ferret's reaction in this particular situation.
 
I've worked with breeder ferrets that were raised outside in rabbit hutches
and housed individually, only to be touched by human hands when they were
roughly moved from one cage to another for breeding purposes.  In one
situation these ferrets were 8th generation and after a bit of gentle
behavior modification they are no different than any other ferret - loving,
playful, extremely social, happy ferrets.
 
Of course this just my opinion. :-)
Hugs to all. tle
[Posted in FML issue 2258]