It is National Ferret Day. It truly is. It’s also National Burrito Day, but I’d like to talk about ferrets.
This from the National Day Calendar will get us started: “On April 2nd, Hob and Jill went up the hill with their little Kits to celebrate National Ferret Day because that’s some serious business.”
Ferret facts: Male ferrets are called Hobs, and female ferrets are called Jills. Their babies are called Kits, and the whole ferret family is called a “business.” I love that!
Other facts: They are carnivores and are part of the mustelid family, which includes the otter, badger, weasel, marten, mink and wolverine.
Humans domesticated ferrets about 2,000 years ago because they are great hunters. Some people do keep them as mischievous pets (they do best with a ferret companion). They are highly intelligent, can learn to use a litter box and can do tricks.
But in North America, the black-footed ferret is one of our most endangered mammals.
Once thought to be completely gone, a rancher discovered a small population on his ranch in Wyoming in 1981. Since then, efforts by conservationists, breeding programs and landowners are bringing the population back from the brink of extinction.
Today the population wavers around 500 ferrets alive in the wild with more in breeding programs preparing to be reintroduced into the wild.
You can celebrate #NationalFerretDay by learning more about the rediscovery and conservation of the black-footed ferret. Watch the movie Ferret Town to learn more.
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