>From:    Glenn Johnson <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Only Pets?
>They didn't make a dent in the prairie dog population, but they poisioned
>and starved the black footed ferret to extinction.
 
>>from: [log in to unmask]
>>The black footed ferret is endangered due to the reduce population of the
>>black tailed prairie dog.  Both are endangered at least in some areas.
>>Most estimates seem to put the BT PD as down to 1 or 2% of its old
>>population.
 
I believe it's fairly well documented that the first statement is accurate:
the black footed ferret was an unintended victim of a large scale, very
deliberate extermination program aimed at prairie dogs and other animals.
No one even knew that black footed ferrets existed until their numbers had
been decimated.  Someone out there correct me if I'm wrong, but that's the
way I understand it.
 
--Ronnie DiComo
[Posted in FML issue 2243]