Help Needed to Document Endangered Black-Footed Ferret Numbers in Arizona

By Vanessa Torres

Arizona -(Ammoland.com)- The Arizona Game and Fish Department is seeking dedicated volunteers to help document endangered black-footed ferret numbers.

As part of the black-footed ferret recovery effort, Game and Fish personnel will be conducting two fall spotlighting events, which is the method used to document the population of this elusive, nocturnal and endangered carnivore.

The dates of the two efforts are Sept. 24-28 and Oct. 22-26. Those wishing to assist can volunteer for one night or multiple nights. The efforts will be conducted at the black-footed ferret recovery area in Aubrey Valley, west of Seligman.

“Volunteers play a vital role,” said Jeff Pebworth, wildlife program manager for the department’s regional office in Kingman. “We don’t have the personnel to fully staff these events, and the program’s continued success depends on people remaining involved.”

Twice thought to be extinct, a small population of black-footed ferrets was discovered in 1981. Only 18 were left when captive breeding efforts began in 1985. In 1996, Arizona’s Aubrey Valley was selected as a reintroduction site.

The last two spotlighting efforts revealed lower-than-expected numbers, …read more

Source:: AmmoLand