Reading about the California Ag station at the AZ border reminds me
of a phone call long ago. I'd learned from Jeanne Carley that CA F&G
stated in a publication that Massachusetts had a problem with feral
ferrets ravaging shore bird colonies. Well, I knew that was a load of
manure so by phone I managed to track down the MA expert who was said
to be the source of that info. He was appalled to hear how he had been
misquoted. Now, this obviously is not an exact quote but here is how
HIS side of the conversation pretty much went:
"They wrote WHAT?
Section reread to him.
"When they called they asked me if feral ferrets were ravaging our
shore bird colonies. I told them that we don't have any feral ferrets.
They then asked if a pet got loose if it would ravage a shore bird
colony. I told them that pet ferrets die rapidly when they get loose;
they have to be raised eating prey to even know it as prey and since
almost no one does that they don't pose an ecological risk. Besides
they are bad hunters unless they have crowded animals in warrens, so
even one raised on prey would be likely to die quickly. Then they asked
me if a pet ferret who was raised eating prey got loose would it ravage
a shore bird colony and I replied that the adult bird guard the nests
too well for that to happen. Then they asked me if there were no adults
there and there were chicks or eggs in the nests and if the ferret had
been raised on chicks as prey and on eggs then could escaped pet
ferrets ravage a shore bird colony, and I said that combination isn't
going to happen, but yes then they could."
And THAT, folks, is what became a statement that feral ferrets were
ravaging shore bird colonies in MA!
Sukie (not a vet)
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/http://ferrethealth.org/archive/http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.htmlhttp://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/http://www.ferretcongress.org/http://www.trifl.org/index.shtmlhttp://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
[Posted in FML 5663]
