When you visit the Zoo, you will discover that most of our larger animals are either endangered or threatened with extinction.  One of the smallest endangered animals living here is the black-footed ferret.  Historically our black-footed ferrets lived in the El Paso Water Discovery Education Center.  Recently their exhibit was moved to the Chihuahuan Desert Exhibit inside the Ranch House.

Once thought extinct the recovery of the black-footed ferret has long been touted as one of the most amazing success stories in the history of the United States. Ten years ago, there may have been up to 1000 black-footed ferrets living in the wild, but today the story is much different and very alarming. There may be as few as 200-300 ferrets left in the wild. The greatest threat to black-footed ferrets today is sylvatic plague. According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service they are not worried so much about plague killing ferrets. They’re worried about plague killing their primary food source – the prairie dog.

The Zoo’s black-tailed prairie dogs and black-footed ferrets are conservation ambassadors for conservation of both species with the black-footed ferret back on the brink of extinction. El Paso Zoo staff have been very active over the years in helping with conservation efforts in support of research through the Zoo’s Conservation Fund.  We have also sent staff to prairie dog towns in Arizona and Mexico to help with ferret recovery efforts.  Conservation funds have also been designated to support research on a vaccine for Sylvatic plague, an infectious bacterial disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis that primarily affects rodents such as prairie dogs.  In 2017 we helped to dust/vaccinate a prairie dog colony in Wyoming at a new black-footed ferret release site.  

The goal of the Black-footed Ferret Recovery Plan (Recovery Plan) is to recover the ferret to the point at which it can be reclassified to threatened status (down listed) and ultimately removed (delisted) from the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife.   Delisting criteria include at least 3,000 free-ranging breeding adults in 30 or more populations, in at least 9 of 12 States in the species’ historical range. There should be no fewer than 30 breeding adults in any population, and at least 10 populations with 100 or more breeding adults, and at least 5 populations in Gunnison’s and white-tailed prairie dog colonies. We must meet these population objectives for at least 3 years prior to down listing or delisting.

In the Southwest, ferrets occurred in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah, within the historical range of Gunnison’s prairie dogs, and in New Mexico and likely southeastern Arizona and Mexico, within the historical range of black-tailed prairie dogs.  In Texas, the Black-tailed Prairie Dog historically occurred throughout the High Plains, Rolling Plains, and Trans-Pecos regions, occupying 78 counties. Today, the largest active prairie dog colonies in Texas occur in the Panhandle, although some areas in the Trans-Pecos also support large prairie dog towns.

You can help the Zoo save endangered species by signing up to be a Conservation Ambassador volunteer.   There is no time commitment to volunteer and you get to pick the zoo animals you want to help.

Photos
US Fish and Wildlife Service