Black-footed Ferrets: In the Field

Defenders of Wildlife is:

  • working with Indian tribes to reintroduce black-footed ferrets on tribal lands;
  • working to reintroduce black-footed ferrets on public lands.

Reintroducing Black-footed ferrets on Tribal Lands

Tribal lands are home to 3 of the 10 black-footed ferret reintroduction sites, and a fourth site is planned for 2008. These tribes are doing an incredible job – with few financial resources – of reintroducing black-footed ferrets to tribal lands. Defenders is thrilled to help with these exciting efforts.

The Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota began reintroducing black-footed ferrets in 2004. Defenders of Wildlife provided funds to assist with this effort. Tribal authorities granted prairie dogs on the pastures protection from shooting and poisoning, a rare reprieve out West.

The Lower Brule Reservation in South Dakota began reintroducing black-footed ferrets in 2006. Defenders of Wildlife provided funds and necessary equipment for this effort.

The Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Montana plans to reintroduce black-footed ferrets in 2008. First, they will protect 10,000 acres of land with prairie dogs from all shooting and poisoning, a very rare occurrence out West. Defenders of Wildlife donated $10,000 to assist with this effort. We look forward to assisting the tribe with ferret reintroduction soon.

Reintroducing black-footed ferrets on public lands

Defenders is helping with black-footed ferret reintroduction efforts on public lands. The most important of all ferret sites is in Conata Basin, a 73,000 acre portion of the Buffalo Gap National Grassland in South Dakota. Prairie dog colonies have expanded tremendously in this area due to their recent protection here. Adjacent landowners are not happy with this expansion and fear the spread of prairie dog colonies onto their property. In an attempt to reduce this conflict without the use of poison year after year to kill the prairie dogs next to private land (and destroy black-footed ferret habitat), Defenders of Wildlife purchased 5 miles of portable electric fence in 2006. This fence is now being used by National Grassland managers in areas where poisoning has been recurrent. The fence keeps livestock out of boundary areas, allowing the grass to grow tall. This in turn reduces or prevents prairie dogs from reoccupying these boundary areas, and ultimately prevents the need to use poison.

Defenders of Wildlife hopes to work with National Grassland officials to use this portable fencing in more boundary areas around the Conata Basin ferret reintroduction site so that the agency’s use of poison in this critical area can be reduced in the future, or even eliminated completely.


Defenders of Wildlife purchased portable electric fence to keep livestock out of boundary areas next to private land so that the grass can grow tall and prevent prairie dogs from moving in, thereby reducing poisoning. Photo by Jonathan Proctor.

Defenders of Wildlife is also working to reintroduce black-footed ferret to other public lands as well. Specifically, we hope to see black-footed ferrets restored in Wyoming’s Thunder Basin National Grassland in the near future.