Here's something I pulled off of Usenet. I felt it would be better to bring it over here to discuss it, than continue a discussion (verging on being a flame war) over there. In article <[log in to unmask]> you write: >The domestic ferret was released here in New Zealand and in the >absence of competition or predators, has established itself very firmly. >IT is now a serious pest of ground-nesting and flightless birds. >-------- >Arnold Chamove >Massey University Psychology >Palmerston North, New Zealand Is this true???? Does Mustela putorius furo really have a feral colony in New Zealand??? This is going to have a serious impact on many of my "ferrets are COMPLETELY domesticated" arguments if it is true. [It may well be, but even in New Zealand, the predation of a small population of ferrets would be insignificant compared to the predation of cats or rats. I have seen or read several accounts of introduced animals causing problems in Australia and New Zealand, but somehow they never manage to mention ferrets - they mention cats and rats. And occasionally mongeese (it is *possible* that Chamove is mistaken and they're mongeese). Besides, the cats would prey on the ferrets too. Then you have to put into perspective the enormous impact that even non-feral cats have on wildlife everywhere. So why are cats acceptable? It takes a great deal of self-control to stop myself shooting the 3 cats that wander thru our property - we have 10 acres of forest, and the cats are killing off the squirrels, chipmunks and rabbits.] - Nancy -- Nancy Hartman CIS graduate student [log in to unmask] U. of Delaware President and founder, Delaware Valley Ferret Club Owner of Percy & Bree [Posted in FML 0196]