We have seen instances where feral ferrets have supposedly been spotted on
Long Island N.y.
 
What has been happening here and in other areas is this:
The price of mink pelts has gone way down (thank goodness!).  Small mink
breeders are just letting their minks loose.  These minks come in many
different colors unlike wild mink.  They are larger,heavier and easily
mistaken from a distance for domestic ferrets.  Because they have never been
wild and have depended on man for food, they will approach people and come
up to houses.
[Posted in FML issue 1996]