Recovery of the black-footed ferret (mustela nigripes ferret) from the threshold of extinction is one of thenations greatest conservation success stories

Since the discovery of a single extant population in 1981 nearmeeteetse, wyoming, involvement of the department in ferret recovery and monitoring has been essential to thereestablishment of ferrets in the wild. In 1991, captive-bred ferrets were reintroduced in shirley basin, andregular monitoring has confirmed the species has persisted since. Spurred by this success, a statewide 10(j)designation under the endangered species act was approved in 2015 for ferrets in wyoming, paving the way for theaddition of new reintroduction sites. As a result, the department established a second reintroduction site inmeeteetse in 2016, bringing ferrets back to where the species was rediscovered 35 years prior. This project will allow the department to continue its work towards fulfilling state and national recovery andmanagement goals. Annual monitoring and evaluation will continue to enable effective management of plague and theongoing efforts to establish a self-sustaining population at meeteetse. In shirley basin, annual funding enablespopulation monitoring, early detection of potential disease outbreak, and the continued spatial expansion of thepopulation with supplemental releases. All collected data are used to assess and evaluate reintroduction success, aiding efforts in current and future reintroduction sites throughout wyoming. Annual monitoring of prairie dogswill allow the department to evaluate fluctuations in prey base populations and habitat quality, quickly identifydeclines that may impact ferrets, and enact appropriate management strategies as needed to ensure reintroductionsites remain viable and healthy.