The comment was made that "ferrets *might* have killed one or two people
*ever*".
 
Seeing as though the person posting did so as in part as a call for accuracy
in the statements made by the ferret community I feel obligated to make a
minor correction.
 
Since ferrets have been kept in this country (by some reckoning over 300
years) there has been only one ferret-related human death (an incident in
Hillsboro, Oregon where an infant was allegedly killed by a pet ferret) and
that is under extremely suspicious circumstances.  I have read the actual
autopsy report and found the following curious items:
 
1).  The infant was bitten over 200 times while sleeping in its crib and
never woke up or cried enough to attract the attention of the parents in the
very next room.
 
2).  There was never any toxicology done on the infant (no one ever wondered
why the child never cried out?)
 
3).  Among the wounds on the child were approx.  1.25 inch deep gashes on
the cheeks and the eye sockets were crushed.  This was done by a ferret??
 
4).  No one witnessed the ferret attacking the child, only that the ferret
was in the crib with the dead infant.
 
5).  No one questioned that the family dog mysteriously disappeared at the
same time.
 
it is not totally accurate to say that ferrets are about as dangerous as
dogs and cats when statistical data has shown time and again that ferrets
are significantly safer.
 
Just my .02 worth.
 
"Nothing should be implied as law which leads to unjust or absurd
consequences."
                    "The game's not over until I win!"
[Posted in FML issue 2212]