Black-footed ferrets, North America's only native ferret species, were once a staple of the expansive Great Plains prairie ecosystem. However, due to exotic disease and dramatic decline in prairie dogs (the exclusive prey of ferrets), they were extinct in the wild by the late 1980?s and only 18 individuals remained at a captive breeding center. Successful reproduction in captivity produced enough young black-footed ferrets, called ?kits,? for reintroduction back into the wild. Since 1991 more than 4,500 black-footed ferrets have been released into prairie dog colonies across North America. Releases have occurred on federal, state, tribal and private lands and included many partners. Prairie Wildlife Research is a key partner at several sites, using our knowledge and years of experience to give released black-footed ferrets the best chance to survive.

Black-footed ferrets are listed as endangered across North America and the goal of recovery is to remove them from the list. Currently the black-footed ferret recovery plan calls for 1,500 breeding adults in the wild to be down-listed to threatened status and 3,000 adults in the wild to be de-listed completely. Monitoring of wild populations is essential to know how close we are to reaching those goals. Right now, there are an estimated 300 adult black-footed ferrets in the wild, thus we are one-fifth of the way to our first goal. Prairie Wildlife Research leads and organizes the annual monitoring surveys for black-footed ferrets in Conata Basin/Badlands, South Dakota, one of the largest and most important recovery sites to date. We also provide assistance to other recovery sites in South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Arizona, New Mexico, Mexico and Canada.

Black-footed ferret at a captive breeding center in Colorado. Without captive breeding efforts, the species would be extinct today.

Prairie dog conservation is an inextricable aspect of black-footed ferret conservation; about 90% of a ferret's diet consists of prairie dogs.

A wild black-footed ferret is released post-processing into a prairie dog town in Wind Cave National Park. Annual monitoring surveys are necessary to track population levels and administer vaccinations against deadly plague and distemper. All photos courtesy of PWR employee Nicole Mittman.

Prairie Wildlife Research was established in 2001 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with the mission to research and conserve wildlife species of the prairie and their associated habitats. PWR works throughout the Great Plains with federal and state agencies, universities, private landowners, and other non-governmental organizations to conduct timely, economical, and quality studies and projects that contribute to sound management decisions. Projects include population surveys, reintroductions of native species, habitat enhancement projects, and working with others to resolve wildlife-related issues.

Prairie Wildlife Research | Conservation Across the Great Plains