Baby Ferrets Born in Canada’s Grasslands National Park

After a 70-year absence from Canada, 30 captive-bred black-footed ferrets were released into Canada’s Grasslands National Park on October 2, 2009. WWF was an integral part of the reintroduction along with other conservation organizations, governments and zoos.

Read the full press release from 2009

Less than a year later on July 25, 2010 a playful litter of black-footed ferret kits were observed on a black-tailed prairie dog colony in Grasslands National Park. The three kits are the first wild-born black-footed ferrets to live in Canada in over 70 years. The birth of the ferret kits has revealed that the captive-bred ferrets released last October are quickly adapting to their new home on the Canadian prairie.

“The observation of wild-born ferrets is a tremendous cause for celebration and a significant benchmark in the reintroduction effort of this species,” stated Jim Prentice, Minister of the Environment and Minister responsible for Parks Canada.

Take a glimpse at the kits as they start to explore their surroundings and hone their survival instincts: