Text Clipping
>>All mustelids are inherently tameable.  I've read accounts centuries old
>>that speak of pet otters, weasels, fishers, skunks, etc., and I'm sure
>>polecats are similar, else they would have never been selected for
>>domestication in the first place.
 
>We've read a lot about American badgers...
 
This is something that I am interested in reading.  Living in Idaho I've
seen a lot of ermine and badgers.  Anybody ever seen the Marty Stouffer
program in which he has 2 'pet' fishers?  Man did that ever look fun!  (He
eventually released them to the wild.) Also, has anybody ever heard of
taming pine martens?
 
What about wolverines?  I've read a few accounts that note that wolverines
seem to have a hatred for humans. . .  Breaking into a cabin, trashing the
place and then spraying musk (wolverine musk is prolly pretty rank!) all
over, just to say... "this is my turf, buddy!" I do know that there are some
animals that cannot be tamed without brain surgery that modifies the
amygdala.  (Like the bear on that old show Gentle Ben.) But I think that
this is an impracticle and ethically questionble method of taming.
 
I recall seeing the page of a man who had a beautiful weasel. . .  some
time last year, but I've since forgotten the url.  I would assume that you
would have to raise weasels from kits to socialize them to be "tamer".  Also
I would assume that the dept of Fish and Game would actively discourage
something like this.  I have a friend who rescued some orphaned fox kits and
bottle fed them.  The fish and game found out and made him release them.
 
I just thought that this stuff was interesting.
What do you other people think?
 
Jon n Mit
& the "chickens"  (Bela and Fezzik)
[Posted in FML issue 2162]