110 Sucesses of The Endangered Species Act

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Black-footed ferret. This 2-foot-long, black-masked member of the weasel family once occurred in central grasslands and basins from southern Canada to Texas but is now one of the most endangered mammals in North America. In the early 1900s, the United States was likely home to more than 5 million ferrets. But ferrets, which hunt prairie dogs for food and live in their burrows, were almost wiped out early in the 20th century after agricultural development and rodent poisons devastated prairie dog populations.

13 years after they were listed as endangered in 1967, the last captive ferret died, and the animals were thought to be extinct in North America. Then in 1981, a small relic population was discovered in a Wyoming prairie dog colony. Between 1991 and 1999, about 1,200 ferrets from that population were released in Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota, Arizona and along the Utah/Colorado border. At least two of those reintroduced populations are established and no longer require releases of captive-raised ferrets. Biologists estimate there are now a total of about 1,410 black-footed ferrets living in the wild.

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Photo credits: American alligator and island fox photos courtesy National Park Service, Black-footed ferret by Randy Matchett, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, California least tern courtesy Flickr Commons/USFWS Pacific Southwest Region

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Maggie C.

11:54AM PDT on Jun 1, 2012

great!
we must keep on fighting

June 1
send a green star

Carrie-Anne B.

11:26AM PDT on Jun 1, 2012

interesting article, thanks for sharing :)

Anita W.

5:36PM PDT on May 26, 2012

When we as a people determine that ALL animals/organisims have a right to live on this planet, then life as we know it, will be forever enriched.

May 26
send a green star

HELENE D.

3:49AM PDT on May 25, 2012

GOOD, BUT NOT ENOUGH!

May 25
send a green star

David V.

9:05PM PDT on May 23, 2012

All endangered species need to be protected to the greatest extent. Actually, all wildlife should be protected....

May 23
send a green star

Sue M.

8:33PM PDT on May 23, 2012

thanks

Patricia M.

7:56PM PDT on May 23, 2012

THAT IS GREAT YET STILL NOT ENOUGH TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE... AND THE DIFFERENCE IS GETTING ALL IN CONGRESS THE HELL OUT OF THERE FOR BETTER CHANGES; PREVENT NUTS LIKE PALIN FROM BEING IN ANY PUBLIC OFFICE OR IN THE PUBLIC EYE SPREADING THEIR VENOM...

THESE IDIOTS, AND GREEDY PEOPLE LIKE RANCHERS, ESPECIALLY THE CATTLEMEN'S ASSOCIATION, NEED TO BACK OFF BEFORE WE HAVE NO EARTH FOR THEM TO BE STUPID ON...

Isabel A.

7:48PM PDT on May 23, 2012

Petition signed, thank you.

Kathy P.

4:46PM PDT on May 23, 2012

keep up the great work!

Vivianne M.

3:58PM PDT on May 23, 2012

Thank you for your work in saving some of the other life forces on our planet.
That is the first step and now we need to add to the list.....there are billions of life forces still on our planet to save from the greed / ego lusts of the 1%.