I could not get the father's address or name, which is too bad because as
tragic as the incident was it could have at least helped other ferrets in
California as an illustration of ferrets turned loose not surviving there
despite optimal conditions: on one of the trains to check on Dad and Blanche
I met an artist returning to design work after having a child.  She told me
that her father has an organic farm in California (someplace near Davis was
my impression) and had at one time had a massive gopher infestation.  The
guy went out and got a number of illegal ferrets and turned them loose.  Now
everyone with ferret experience knows that even though the very fortunate,
odd ferret which survives a week away from home shows up every three years
or so (From how very many reported here as lost?) that ferrets typically are
dead within a few days, and of course, that is what happened in this case.
(Oh, the farmer later went and bought a number of gopher snakes, which
worked.  Don't know the particulars with those herps.)
 
Domestic ferrets just are too curious, too out-competed, too poor at
hunting, and too likely to become prey themselves.  Of course, just saying
that to CA DFG has never worked for the good folks out there -- still that
dept. is the same one which was recently reported to have shot a 10 pound
abyssinian cat in the Redding area because the wardens thought it was a
mountain lion.  (Humane News, Vol.  8, #6, page 15, secondarily reporting
from the Mountian Lion Foundation).
 
Sukie
[Posted in FML issue 2129]