Wind Cave National Park Black-Footed Ferret Reintroduction: 5-Year Review.

摘要

Wind Cave National Park, located in western South Dakota, is one of the premier wildlife parks in the country. Although only 33,851 acres in size, it supports a diversity of iconic Northern Great Plains species including bison (Bison bison), pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana), and elk (Cervus elaphus). In 2012 the park supported an estimated 1,955 acres of black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) colonies, a species reduced to only 2% of its historic range. Prairie dogs are obligate prey species for the critically endangered black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes). The black-footed ferret was thought extinct until 1981 when a population was discovered in Wyoming. Due to disease and other concerns the last remaining 18 animals were brought into captivity by 1987. From 1991-2007 the descendants of those animals were released back into the wild. However, the ferret recovery program was running out of large reintroduction sites, defined as sites with more than 5,000 acres of prairie dog colonies. Wind Cave National Park agreed to become a ferret reintroduction site, but due to the relatively small prairie dog acreage the reintroduction was viewed as an experiment.