One of the largest colonies of endangered black-footed ferrets is under attack by a deadly disease called the sylvatic plague that was discovered in May. Wildlife officials have been fighting this plague that is believed to originate in prairie dogs, the main prey of the ferrets.  These ferrets are located in Badlands National Park in South Dakota, which is a 244,000 acre area located in the southwestern section of the state.

The deadly disease has already killed up to 33% of the area's 290 ferrets leaving the number of these endangered ferrets at around 200. The plague is carried by fleas, which were thwarted this past summer due to the hot, dry weather, but it still poses a serious threat to develop stable populations of one of the country's rarest mammals.

It is feared that this plague could completely wipe out this species in the region. Researchers, conservationists and scientists are working hard to avoid this outcome, as these ferrets were once considered extinct before one colony was discovered in Wyoming in 1981. Captive breeding has succeeded in increasing their numbers and the black-footed ferret has been reintroduced at 17 sites in South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, Utah, Kansas and Mexico. According to Nancy Warren, endangered species program leader in the Rocky Mountain Region of the U.S. Forest Service.

Crews are working feverishly to trap the ferrets and vaccinate them against the plague and over 60 ferrets have been vaccinated, with 15 of them already getting the desired two doses. They plan on dusting around 11,000 acres with insecticide this fall in order to eliminate the fleas that transmit the plague.

http://www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2008/09/02/news/state/163628.txt

Share