Congrads from Fritter, Hjalmar and Meltdown & their associated bipeds to Nicia and Mocha and their bipeds on the new Lewis-Paley. They hope that he remains a quadraped (an advanced lifeform). The place that is looking into a USDA approved ferret vaccine (which would probably help the legal status of ferrets in some parts of the country) is the Morris Animal Foundation. For the past year they have been soliciting funds for the project, which will cost more than $50,000. As of the end of March they had only raised $5,000. We HIGHLY recommend that everyone make whatever donation they can. Should the gifts prove inadequate, the MAF will refund your gift from a trust account. Here is an approximation of their note: --------(cut and post at local vets/ferret dealers/ferret shows)---- NEEDED: A USDA-approved rabies vaccine for ferrets The Morris Animal Foundation solicited a project to test existing rabies vaccines to gain USDA approval for their use in ferrets. The non-profit Foundation funds studies of companion animal health problems. Final approval of the project is expected in June. Work can begin when sufficient funds are available. Approximately 10 per cent of the necessary money has been collected. YOUR HELP IS URGENTLY NEEDED! Without your help, ferrets will continue to face death for lack of an approved vaccine. Send donations to Morris Animal Foundation Ferret Fund. ----------------------------------------------------------- Enclosed is my gift of $________ for the Ferret Rabies Vaccine Fund. Make the check to Morris Animal Foundation Ferret Fund. Name: Address: City/State/Zip: I am a member of (check one only) __IFA __UFO __FFC __CDFA __PIJAC __AVMA Morris Animal Foundation 45 Inverness Drive East Englewood, CO 80112-5480 (303) 790-2345 ------------------------------------------------------------------ Do any of the Calif people know anything about any recent progress in the legality of ferrets there? We had heard rumors that something was before the legislature. In addition to the regular bad press ferrets have been getting, Calif game & fish officials seem to have confused ferrets with the mongoose. They look somewhat similar at 100', but are totally different unrelated animals! (I am being heavily recruited by a Calif company these days and keep telling them that they have to change the ferret laws before I would agree to live in such a state.) We haven't heard anything about the status of Wyoming Black-Footed Ferrets, although new kits should be appearing now. I was in Montana a month ago and visited a potential site where BFFs may be re-introduced. The last confirmed BFF sighting at this location was in 1962. It still has a rather large Prairie Dog town. Our Hell for Leather Ferret, Meltdown, has learned how to jump from person to person at shoulder level. It was quite startling the first time it happened, but she is a pretty good flyer. She is also very good at climbing up anything including people. She may think she is a bat in training. Steve, Sukie, Fritter, Hjalmar and Meltdown [Posted in FML 0067]