**URGENT NOTICE** *TO ALL FERRET OWNERS AND ORGANIZATIONS In february, 1995, the U.S dish & Wildlife Service began implementing a plan to dispose of 100 aging, rare, BBFs. These four and five yaer old adults were born and have lived their entire lives in cages. They have never known hunger, cold illness without prompt medical care, or danger. On June 1 they are scheduled to be turned out into the coyote-infested Badlands of South Dakoto. They are the grandparents and greatgrandparents of the present BFF captive breeding colony. In a brief attempt to prepare them for release, the ferrets have now been moved from their home and placed in dirt-filed, outdoor pens-- without benefit of winter coats. The pens contain live prairie dogs, the ferrets' normal diet in the wild, but which they have rarelt tasted and never killed. To force hunting, a skill which few, if any, of these sad creatures will live long enough to use, the ferrets are being deprived of food several days a week. This includes females forced to breed and presumably pregnant. Many will not hunt. Several have been injured in the attempt. Within days of the abrupt transfer, animals began to suffer illness from stress and exposure. When removed for medical care, examinations revealed a host os pre-existing illnesses and physical disabilities which would preclude any hope of survival in the wild: partial blindness, chronic parasitic disease, an unbilical hernia, malignant tumor, broken teeth, teeth blunted off at the gumline by dental surgery, no teeth at all. Contary to protocol, medical records have been refused by to the staff. Two beautiful ferrets have died. Seven suffer from coccidiosis, a life threatening disease in elderly animals. Biologists perpetrating this unconscionable experiment estimate 10% may survive--10 live, 90 die. Yet, ferrets this old have never before been released into the wild. Two and three year old ferrets released in Montana last fall fared poorly. "Coco" lived 16 days before the coyotes got her. Her five kits didn't do as well. Several others lived a few hours. "Ranger", a particularly affectionate two year old male, lived just 20 minutes. All other ferrets have grown tame and trusting with age. Federal law permits extinction but prohibits private adoption. Each would do well in your living room. A group of concerned citizens, some active in the captive breeding program and supportive of it's goal to reestablish the species, has proposed the *Black Footed Ferret Living Care Center* as an alternative to release. At no cost to the taxpayer, this privately-funded, non-profit facility, would provide a safe, comfortable, permanent home for elderly and other non-releasable BFFs. It would operateindependantly, but under Federal permit. A formal proposal ws submitted in March and rejected in April. A release date for the ferrets was set at June 1. We appeal to all who value and cherish wildlife, who abhor its abuse by indifferent governmental agencies which trade morality for expendancy. We ask your support for these lives that hang in the ballance. BFF LIVING CARE CENTER proposal available upon request. Write or call Carolyn R. Kinsey, 140 W. 29th St., Ste. 191 Pueblo, Co 81008-1016. (719)391-2627. BFF LCC Hotline: (303) 337-0645; U.S Fish & Wildlife Service: Mr Ralph Morgenweck, Director, Region 6, P.O. Box 25486, Denver Federal Center, Denver CO 80225, FAX (303) 236-3815; Miss mollie Beattie, Director, USFWS, 1849 "C" St., NW, Washington, DC 20240, Fax (202) 208-6965. [Posted in FML issue 1197]