I have a newfound appreciation for the prairie. I have never really cared for it - finding it rather flat and boring. But, that has changed. I now know that the prairie is home to prairie dogs, black-footed ferrets, burrowing owls, badgers, coyotes, gazelle, hawks, the swift fox and so many other critters I did not even know existed! Two weeks ago I had the privilege of joining a group of men and women from organizations such as Prairie Wildlife Research (http://www.prairiewildlife.org), the Dept. of the Interior, World Wildlife Fund, National Geographic, Defenders of Wildlife, a wonderful veterinarian who shall remain nameless - and probably some others I have forgotten - in the annual black-footed ferret (BFF) roundup in South Dakota. Two of the men had participated in the original roundup 20 years ago in Meteetse, WY. It was such a wonderful opportunity to be there. This big push was to count the new kits, microchip them and vaccinate them. Older ferrets were also checked out and vaccinated. (What a thrill it was to capture two females first seen in 2001! Usually they only live 2 - 3 years!) Normally there are numerous people there to help out, as the Forest Service will participate. This year, however, the numbers were down. In fact, the day I left for home, the number dwindled to 4. That left 3 to help round them up and the vet alone to do the work and the record keeping. Why so few? Well, the Forest Service was preparing to start poisoning the perimeter to rid the place of some prairie dogs. And, as Travis Livieri said, sometimes that's all you get. The prairie dog is the primary food source of the BFF. What happens to the predator if it loses its prey? Well, what happens to you if you have no food? One of the people present was working on a thesis about the BFF and the success in SD as opposed to the limited success in MT. Apparently BFFs like certain kinds of prairie dog towns - the ones you can see from the air, spreading out all over the landscape. What if we remove all these habitats? The extinction bill was passed and that means that there will be some issues that will arise. Get involved. If you donate money to ANY wildlife organization, specify it for your cause - in this case, the BFF. Contact your congressman and senators. Find out how you can make a difference. Remember the saying, Take care of the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves? Well, if we can help one species, perhaps we will be helping all of them. Will it make a difference to try to stop the poisoning? Not if we don't try. So, if this is of importance to you, may I suggest you get involved. If not, perhaps there is something near and dear to your heart - like our wetlands or the prairie. Okay, I am off my soapbox. But I am still on cloud 9! I can't wait until the next opportunity to *get my hands dirty* - and my clothes smelly! I tell you, some of those ferrets can really stir up a stink! The first night the vet was there, I had the honor of sharing the same air with him. Three of the current BFFs managed to emit such a smell that we had to open the window and door! Talk about burning eyes! And noisy! Some of these guys were so vocal that it was necessary to cover the carriers to prevent them from seeing us. Muscular, too. Beautiful green eyes and coats in multiple colors. Their teeth were so white and clean. Their tails so full. I hope I have piqued your interest. The Forum in the Fort will be Oct. 22 and 23 in Fort Collins, CO. It will include a trip to the BFF captive breeding facitliy. If there is anyway you can go, I highly encourage it. Hope you have as much fun as I did - but I doubt it! ;-) renee :) International Ferret Congress http://www.ferretcongress.org [Posted in FML issue 5017]