Hi Re: Winkie - We're so sorry to hear of the loss of your little fuzzy hero. Our thoughts and prayers are with you, your family, and Gus Gus. Give him an extra hug for us. Re: Ferrets in the wild - I have also heard of ferret surviving more or less in the wild. The group I have heard of lives in a family's barn as barn ferrets. They're food is supplemented by the owners of the farm, but for the most part they just run around, doing their thing (breeding and what not) on their own. There are apparantly some house ferrets, and when the population gets too large, some kits are sold as pets. This is second-hand information, but it is from a fairly accurate source and could be confirmed over the course of the summer. Andi [Posted in FML issue 1182]