Clones

Dr. Rae: Okay Peter, one thing of many things we can agree on is that everybody loves is a comeback story. What’s one of your favorites?
 
Peter: One of my favorites is a recent movie that came out called Boys in the Boat and it’s about the legendary story of the 1936 Olympics when the hard-working young students from the University of Washington came from behind to win the gold medal.
 
Dr. Rae: An Olympic comeback story. Those are the best kind. Today, we’ve got a comeback story that starts in the wild and ends in a high-tech laboratory!
 
Peter: This is Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom: The Podcast. Episode 3: Clones!
 
[THEME MUSIC IN]
 
Peter: I’m wildlife expert, TV host, and educator Peter Gros.
 
Dr. Rae: And I’m wildlife ecologist Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant.
 
On our TV show Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild, Peter and I discover hope in the face of new threats and meet the scientists, photographers, and activists leading the way. 
 
Peter: On this podcast, we’ll go deeper, find out what ignites their passion, and how we can all live a little more harmoniously with wildlife in our midst.
 
[THEME MUSIC OUT]
 
Peter: Rae, we’ve learned a lot about cloning of animals in recent history, I think the very first I heard was of Dolly the famous sheep in Scotland.
 
Archival - 1996 CNN News Report: Her name is Dolly. Seven months old. She may not be the monster imagined in science fiction fantasy, yet the cuddly, thin Dorset lamb may represent a major landmark in the history of genetic engineering. On an ordinary farm in Scotland…
 
Dr. Rae: I was ten or eleven years old when that actually happened and made the news, and so you can imagine, you know, being in elementary school, that was just pretty mind-blowing. But cloning is also being used to bring animals back from the brink of extinction. And in our Wild Kingdom Protecting The Wild episode “Conservation Comeback,” I visited the place that’s ground zero for this technology. The Frozen Zoo is a cryobank located at the San Diego Zoo. It houses thousands of cells from hundreds of different species, including the very rare Black-footed ferret.
 
[SHOW ARCHIVAL STARTS]
 
Marlys Houck: So, you’re holding living cells of an animal that has passed away but these cells have the genetic diversity that will help the population.
 
Dr. Rae: Honestly it feels like hope, is what it feels like. These cells are alive and useful. It’s really hopeful.
 
[SHOW ARCHIVAL ENDS]
 
Peter: The origin of that DNA goes back to 1981 when the Hogg family discovered the body of a black-footed ferret on their cattle ranch in Meeteetse Wyoming. For the show, I traveled there with our guest today, Jeff Ewelt, who runs Zoo Montana.
  
Jeff Ewelt: Yeah, it's such a crazy story to me. So, the family was sitting at their house on this on this beautiful ranch. And their dog, I believe his name was Shep, came up to their door carrying an animal in their mouth. And certainly, you know, if you have dogs, they may come back with a ground squirrel or a prairie dog or something like that. And the family went out to see what the dog had. And the owner of the ranch noticed it was something a little bit different. And so called, their local wildlife facilitlity, the game warden. And he came out and he said, "I think this is a Black-footed ferret." And so, they took it in for study and, sure enough, found out it was indeed a Black-footed ferret.
 
Dr. Rae: And at this point, did they think they were extinct?
 
Jeff Ewelt: They did
 
Dr. Rae: Wow
 
Jeff Ewelt: And so there was a small population that was found in the in the late 70s. That population was brought into captivity for breeding, but they died out. It did not work. And so, they were blown away. And so immediately everybody obviously then came into this ranch and started looking around and sure enough, found these ferrets, I believe it was 18 to 20, if I remember right and then that was the when the decision was made, let's bring all these animals into into a captive setting to breed them to bolster their population. That's what was done. We now know that was a victorious opportunity for them. But yeah, we can thank a family dog for rediscovering this mammal. It's a wild story. Almost sounds made up, but it's it's true.
 
Peter: Good old Shep.
 
Jeff Ewelt: Good old Shep [laughs] by the way, Shep has a statue in Meeteetse Wyoming. He's that famous, right?
 
Dr. Rae: He better have a statue. That's what I'm talking about.
 
Peter: It’s important to point out that these black-footed ferrets were plentiful when indigenous peoples were stewards of these lands.
 
Like lots of threatened wildlife, westward expansion of European settlers is what put the black-footed ferret on a fast track to extinction.
 
Jeff Ewelt: As settlers came here to America, they saw a lot of animals as threats. And prairie dogs were one of those animals that were seen as a threat, by, you know, new settlers coming to the area.
 
Dr. Rae: And a threat for agriculture, I guess.
 
Jeff Ewelt: Yep. Exactly right. And, you know, prairie dogs can be they can be destructive. They can create obviously, their burrows, can be threats for cattle, and any kind of livestock. And so, they were eradicated. You know, a lot like the bison were. And what ends up happening is obviously you eradicate the food source of some of these, these carnivores, and then that carnivore starts to suffer. And that's exactly what happened to the black footed ferret. They lost their main food source. About 75% of black-footed ferrets’ diet are our prairie dogs.
 
Dr. Rae: But wait, is a ferret larger than a prairie dog?
 
Jeff Ewelt: No. You know and that's the amazing thing, is that, no, they're not actually. And so, when you look at a Black-footed ferret, you know, you think of a domestic ferret. What they look like Black-footed ferrets, maybe a lot smaller than that. And prairie dogs are significantly bigger. But that said, yeah, about 75% of their diet are prairie dogs. So, when our prairie dogs were eradicated, it just decimated the black-footed ferret population. Now, add to that disease and the plague, which helped decimate their population even more. And so, they just kept getting, you know, bad news after bad news that just kept, taking that population further and further down until they were thought to be extinct.
 
Peter: I will just pivot back a little bit more to our story. Tell Rae a little bit about maybe what the most exciting part or what are the highlights of filming the show was that she might be interested?
 
Jeff Ewelt: So obviously, of course, being on the Hog Ranch, I think was was that top piece, you know, just being out there in the wilds of Wyoming and where the story kind of restarted again on that Hog ranch. But that said, Peter, I think one of the other areas that I really enjoyed was visiting the recovery center that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Black-footed breeding Center.
 
 [SHOW ARCHIVAL STARTS]
[BLACK-FOOTED FERRETS SQUEAKING]
 
Peter: Oh yes, we hear you. They’re all so curious.
 
Jeff Ewelt: Yeah.
 
Robyn Bortner: Kiko is a young male. He’s actually one of my juvenile males that is a proven sire this year. He sired a litter
 
[SHOW ARCHIVAL ENDS]
 
Jeff Ewelt: And then obviously while we were there, we got to watch, you know, the process of how they get them ready for getting back out, out into the wild. And then, of course, seeing the cloned ferret, you know, the first cloned endangered species, right there in front of us. I mean, this is a historical animal that we’re looking at.

 
[MUSIC IN]
 
Peter: Her name is Elizabeth Ann. In 1988, the first Black-Footed Ferret cells were collected, frozen, and stored in a secure lab. These cells became the first native endangered animal species from North America to be cloned. Elizabeth Ann is the result of that effort to restore a once-thriving fixture on the landscape of the American West. Many of these ferrets bred and raised at the Black-Footed ferret Breeding Center will be released into the wild on the Hog Ranch.
 
[MUSIC OUT]
 
[SHOW ARCHIVAL STARTS]
 
Robyn Bortner: It’s really cool to be part of such a groundbreaking project. You know the science has not been done on endangered species like this before. So, it’s really neat to see what the future holds that Elizabeth Ann has helped us unlock.
 
Peter: Well, lucky you!
 
Jeff Ewelt: Yeah
 
Peter: We’re very happy to share it with you.
 
[SHOW ARCHIVAL STARTS ENDS]
 
Jeff Ewelt : So basically, there was one ferret whose genes were not represented, and they were able to actually utilize the genes of that ferret to clone, essentially create a replica of that ferret in a live animal. Who we saw, it was amazing. I mean, it just blows me away. And, Rae, I have to ask you real quick, you know, you've been able to visit the frozen zoo in San Diego. And I loved your comment when you were holding the vial of cells of black-footed ferrets. You said that it feels like hope, and I just thought that was such an amazing moment. It gave me goosebumps. Is that how it felt? I mean, just that you're holding an entire species in your hand. It was wild to me.
 
Dr. Rae: Yeah. You know, it did feel very hopeful. And that was a big departure from how it felt at the beginning, right? So, the frozen zoo, you know, I don't know what people might imagine when they hear those two words together. They might think like a zoo in Alaska, that, in the wintertime or something that's real cold. But actually it's just a research center at the San Diego Zoo that's not open to the public, where they have cryogenically frozen a lot of DNA and cellular material of endangered species with the hopes of using that material to make clones or, you know, bring back this species. And I actually I mean, and I haven't admitted this before, but I went in feeling really disappointed. I went in feeling really sad, that it has come to this, that we have to look at cells under a microscope, as opposed to just, you know, going out and seeing them in the wild. As much as I can be impressed with scientific innovation, I felt to myself like, this is a shame that a frozen zoo even exists, right? Shame on us as a society for getting to this place. And then I talked to the scientists. I learned about the journey. I learned about the history, the goals for the future, the amazing ways that, you know it's not just ferrets that we're looking at anymore. They're looking at being able to bring back to life enormous, amazing, iconic species from Africa, you know, so white rhinos, etc.
  
[SHOW ARCHIVAL STARTS]
 
Marlys Houck: The frozen zoo is the largest, most diverse collection of its kind.
 
Dr. Rae: Wow
 
Marlys Houck: And it’s a collection of skin cells from mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians.
 
[SHOW ARCHIVAL ENDS]
 
Dr. Rae: I regained an appreciation for that scientific innovation that gives species a second chance. It was a big teaching moment for me. So, I have to say, it sounded very poetic on camera, but it truly holding a little vial with the, you know, the dry eyes kind of puffing up and saying this feels like hope. And that was that was truly how I felt.
 
Peter: Yes, but that is a perfect description, which is what so many of our shows are about. Is hope talking about species. And as you say, the fact that we got so far down the road that we have a frozen zoo. But the hope is there, that these, the remaining, the remaining animals that we have can we can grow this species. Maybe this one cloned animal has enough of the genetic properties that it will be immune to the disease that's affecting the other Black-footed ferrets, maybe that can reproduce. So when I hear frozen zoo, although it's very hard to understand when you first hear it, as you describe Rae, the fact that the zoos have stayed ahead of the curve for so long, knowing this was coming gives me so much hope that we are going to see species that were practically extinct that will be released back to the wild again someday.

Dr. Rae: I agree with you, Peter. You know one thing I learned not at all in the context of conservation, but I carry it with me. I think I actually am pretty sure that Kobe Bryant said this. So, you know, basketball legend Kobe Bryant once spoke about how different people find motivation from different experiences in different places. Some people find a lot of personal motivation from success, right? When things are going really well, whatever their project or goal is, they get motivated to like give it their all and other people find motivation when things are completely unacceptable. You know, that's when they feel the strongest and the most energized to get involved and make a difference. And so, you know, it makes me think about like, what type of person am I? But obviously, anyone who worked on frozen zoos, you know, the genetics of these black-footed ferrets, they were the people saying, this isn't going well. This is going very poorly. And that's unacceptable to me. So, we are going to, you know, expand our minds to the furthest corners to come up with some kind of inventive solution so that we're never back here again.

Jeff Ewelt: I will say that that's why I love this, your show so much, because it does provide that hope, but not in a cheesy way, right? Like a lot of times, you know, and I think a lot of times people hear conservation and they think, oh yeah, that's being done. But these are true, real projects that are making a difference that you're highlighting. And to show that in the way that you show that is just it's incredible. You have to be a corpse not to be, you know, engaged with some of the amazing work that's being done out there to truly make a difference in our world. It's awesome. It really is.

Peter: Yes, and I think the point that you were making is that, yes, indeed, we're finding solutions are gradually making progress. But we really– we're not saying the problem is solved. We're saying we have to be very attentive, monitor the species, stay on top of it, and always stay one step ahead of what the next problem may be. Very broadly speaking, I think the biggest problem is loss of habitat. What we have to do is save and share habitats and come to zoos like yours to learn about the wildlife, to sort of set the hook, make the connection, then want to go to the wild and maybe experience them there, and the next step we hope for the future generation is: now, what can I do to help?

Dr. Rae: Well, let me ask you two a question here. And I think it's a question that some of our listeners might be thinking, is it safe for an endangered species, one that we're really, you know, doing the most to protect, cloning, etc., to live on a working ranch with cattle, with people, you know, rounding up cows all the time with fencing? You know, with all of that? Is that the right place for this critically endangered species?

Jeff Ewelt: I think it can be in particular in this situation because the Hog family, in particular, have such a massive ranch, and their surrounding neighbors do as well. And they understand the importance of this program. So, as I was mentioning, they understand how to rotate their livestock so well to ensure recovery times for grasses, for prairie dogs, which of course then support the Black-footed ferret.

I think in other parts of the country, maybe not. You know, I think that's a valid question, which is where the education piece comes in. Kind of to what Peter was saying is, is ensuring that we get the word out of what we need these landowners to do to help out. It's not it doesn't have to be such an invasive thing. And I think a lot of times when you talk about endangered species, landowners understandably get concerned. What does that mean for my livelihood? We use bald eagles, for example. You know, if a bald eagle nest is on your property, you're not going to be able to cut that down. You're going to have to ensure you can coexist with that animal. Sometimes that causes some grief.

You know, wolves, boy here in Montana, the wolf conversation certainly is, is a heated one. But I understand where the concern is. But I think with the right education, the right opportunities to let those landowners know that it doesn't have to be invasive, and you can work with the U.S. government, you can work with, you know, the wildlife experts. You can truly make a difference with little effort.

Dr. Rae: Fair enough. You know, I spent several years, working in eastern Montana, on the biology behind, grizzly bears reclaiming their historic habitat, and I really had a lot of rude awakenings. I thought I was going to be studying bears the whole time, and instead I was like sitting at kitchen tables with ranchers and with their families and talking about their livelihoods and what kind of future they wanted to see and what kind of worries they had, not just about wild animals, but about the ranching industry, you know, and it really helped me see that conservation has to touch all those spaces.

It has to touch economics. It has to touch the meat industry. It has to touch, you know, all these all these different areas to be effective and to include all kinds of people who've been historically excluded from these conversations. You know, a lot of ranchers have been, for decades, told that they are the opposite of conservationists, you know, and we have a lot of reconciliation to do with many of those communities of people, you know, because these days we're realizing, well, gosh, you all are essential. And thank you for maintaining this land. And, you know, you're giving these ecosystems a second chance. And, you know, we need to all work together.

So, you know, I talked about hope in a jar, you know, like microscopic cellular hope. But there's also hope when it comes to, you know, communities working together and those collaborations and all of the cooperation that I think is kind of invisibly happening in the West. Right? It doesn't make the headlines all the time. You know, it's not on every podcast, but it is this really powerful and beautiful trend that I think is going to honestly save us all.

Jeff Ewelt: Absolutely. And it's a conversation that has to happen, right? You know, we have to find that happy medium of, you know, ensuring the livelihood, like you said, of those ranchers. And then, at the same time, of these animals.

[MUSIC IN]

Dr. Rae: Conservation is really such a collaborative effort– ranchers, scientists and zoos all play crucial roles and obviously the story of the frozen zoo and the cloned ferret Elizabeth Ann is just one example. But for so many zoos– just like the one that Jeff runs in Montana– their work is largely unseen.

[MUSIC OUT]
 
Jeff Ewelt: If there's one thing that we as zoological parks are not good at, it's bragging, and I don't know why. You know, I just think we need to be more vocal about the incredible work that's being done in our institutions, you know, and behind the scenes, I'll take it to a personal level first, the personal love, for lack of better words, that our caregivers give our animals every day is mind-boggling to me. And in a lot of situations, as a lot of zoological parks do, these are rescued animals that have no other place to go, you know? So, it's a place for them to really have their forever home.

And so, it's our responsibility as caregivers to do the best we can to not only mimic their natural environment, and their natural behaviors, but give them a comfortable place to survive and live out their life. What I love in a lot of zoological parks, and I know you two have seen this, is the amount of training that's being done for medical procedures.

For example, our tigers, you know, back in the day, if you needed to get blood from a tiger, you would knock that animal down, you'd get blood. But that's so stressful for the animal and for the caregiver. So, let's train that animal willingly partake in that. You know, when you and I go to the doctor, we may not like it, but when it's time to give blood, you put your arm out. You get the, you know, you get your blood taken, and maybe you'll get a sucker because you did good. But with tigers, it’s the same thing. They present their tail. We will take the blood. They turn around, they get a big mouthful of whipped cream. They're happy. We're happy. It's a win-win situation. So, there are so much being done in the level of animal care to better the situation for the animal and then, therefore, the animal caretaker.
 
Dr. Rae: Jeff, you just very casually said that tigers get rewarded with whipped cream after a medical procedure. And I just wanted to point that out, that that might be very normal for you and the staff that you have at the zoo. But that is news for us and is such a fun image to think about because they have some pretty fricking big mouths to fill with whipped cream.
 
Peter: I think what you've described so well, Jeff, is, is transitioned from what zoos were in the past and what they are now. They used to be sort of a collection, sort of a postage stamp collection of how many species we could show people. Now the focus is on: is the habitat naturalistic? Is the animal comfortable where it is? Does it have plenty of space? All these things that are considered now as an education center rather than sort of a menagerie collection to sort of be in awe of the wildlife you see.

So, what you've described is what I hope more people understand about zoos and conservation centers, and wildlife organizations. Is this wonderful transition putting the wildlife first?
 
Jeff Ewelt: Thank you. And you're exactly right. And what I always like to tell kids especially, is, you know, back in the day when zoos were really first, you know, becoming popular here in the U.S., you know, literally bringing an animal from overseas and putting it in a, you know, on a concrete pad behind bars. And people would point and laugh, and that was the norm then fortunately, we've come a long way since, since those early years.

But you're right, now it's about you providing these animals, you know, places of essentially, we're an ark, if you will, for a lot of these animals. And I think, as I said before, we need to do a better job of explaining why we need to exist.
 
[MUSIC IN]
 
Dr. Rae: Jeff, I have a fun question. And Peter, you can chime in, too, if you want to. I would love to hear yours. But, you know, we're talking about, like, frozen zoos and cloning, right? I mean, I'm just telling you, when I was a kid there were just, like, action movies about evil clones left and right. And now clones are my new favorite thing because they're a solution. But are there animals that that are gone now that you kind of wish we had had this technology to clone and do conservation work with? Like, do you have a favorite extinct animal that you kind of wish we had cloned?
 
[MUSIC OUT]
 
Jeff Ewelt: Certainly, cloning is such an interesting topic, right? Because it's controversial. We have the technology. Does that mean that we should have the ability to clone animals? And I'm a firm believer that if we're cloning wildlife that has directly gone extinct or is going extinct because of us, then yeah, I think because we have the technology, I think we have the obligation to do so, right? So that's just that's kind of my personal belief.

If there was one species I could bring back, it'd be the Dodo bird. I just think they are just. What an amazing animal that that bird was again, goes back to my bird nerd feelings. But I just think, you know, an animal that was eradicated specifically because of humans. But what a cool bird that would be to see. I mean, we were somewhat close with the kiwi, but yeah, not quite. I mean, I just think seeing a Dodo in person and being able to work with a Dodo would be amazing. And what an amazing name it has.
 
Peter: I was, I was thinking the same animal. But to back up a little bit, the idea of cloning just seemed so bizarre and strange and so futuristic. But then I think back to when our national bird was disappearing and, and we thought we absolutely using DDT is part of agricultural use. And then we figured it out, and we know we don't have DDT anymore. And look what's happening to the Eagle population.

Then the same thing with condors. There were 23 left and there's the idea of collecting them. Seems so risky. And why would we ever do that? And it was done. And now there's over 500, many flying free in the wild again.

So, I think when we look at what we need to do to save endangered species in the wild, now may seem like sort of a wild-eyed prospect. How about the idea of having a frozen zoo? Who would have ever thought of that before? And now, we know that that can be successful, and it works. So, I think we need to continue to all work together to be sure we can continue to do this with as many species as we can.
 
[MUSIC IN]
 
Dr. Rae: Jeff, it's been so beautiful having you on because you are such a gem of a person. And it really shows because you care about endangered species. You care about non-endangered species, right? Like you care about human communities. You care about future generations are interested in getting involved.

You just seem like such an open book, a welcoming presence, and the conservation community is just, you know, in a debt of gratitude for having you as one of us. And it's been such a joy to have you on our show.
 
Peter: So, think of all the other four-legged critters and the wicked critters. And now we uprights who thank you for all that you do.
 
Jeff Ewelt: Well, thank you both for the kind words and incredible, I mean, just it means the world to me. And I'm just I'm honored and humbled to be a part of this, this whole journey that you, you two, are on and the show is on. I'm just honored to be a part of it. So, thank you for having me.
 
Peter: Our pleasure. Thanks, Jeff.
 
Dr. Rae: Absolutely.
 
Dr. Rae: So, before we wrap up our interview, I just have to share this really fun, totally behind the scenes story, just in order to give our listeners an image of what Peter is like when he gets a chance to hop on an ATV while filming and just ride around a huge ranch!
 
Jeff Ewelt: You may not remember this, Peter, but of course, boys will be boys. And as we were kind of wrapping up the filming, we all decided we were going to race back to the to back to the house.
 
Dr. Rae: [Laughs] No, no, you didn’t.
 
Jeff Ewelt: And we were going down this little two-track road. And I saw Peter ahead, and I think, I don't know if you hit a rock or what, but I saw Peter flying up. I thought for sure he was going to go off that four-Wheeler. I was cracking up by the dust on my face. I was impressed, he was able to maintain control, and I think he ended up winning the race. But the point was we had some fun. It was it was a great time. And again, something I look I will look back fondly on forever.
 
Peter: It was great. It was wonderful, and I am glad you got to see that. It wasn’t my first ATV rodeo, you know?
 
Jeff Ewelt: [Laughs] I can tell the way you the way you recovered was impressive.
 
Peter: You didn't know they could fly, did you?
 
Jeff Ewelt: I had no idea. I didn't know you could fly, but you did.
 
[MUSIC ENDS]
 
Dr. Rae: Alright, Peter, we’re gonna share some Ferrets facts with each other, and I’m going to go first, alright?
 
[MUSIC IN]
 
Dr. Rae: The average lifespan of a ferret in the wild is 1-3 years[1], but in that time, they can grow up to 24 inches long?[2]
 
Peter: A Black-footed ferret primarily feeds on prairie dogs, but they also consume squirrels, mice, and other rodents[3]
 
Dr. Rae: So, Black-footed ferrets are North America’s only native ferret species.
 
Peter: Although they are cute, It is illegal to own an endangered Black-footed ferret[4]
 
Dr. Rae: Black-footed ferrets are solitary animals that live alone. But in May and June, the females give birth to litters of one to six kits, which they raise on their own.[5]
 
[MUSIC ENDS]
 
Peter: There was a time not long ago when the Black footed ferret seemed to be doomed to disappear from the prairies of the American West.
 
[MUSIC IN]
 
Peter: But as we heard today, Ranchers, scientists, conservationists, and yes, a dog named Shep came together to give this species a second chance. The story of the Black-footed ferret is a reminder that if we protect wildlife today, we can ensure magical moments in the wild kingdom for future generations. 
 
Jeff Ewelt: You know, a lot of times people fear these radical ideas, you know, and if you just stick with it, it becomes the norm and it works, right? And certainly, doesn't mean there's not going to be times of failure. I mean, that's all part of it. But at the end of the day, right? If we can normalize some of these incredible ideas, then I think we could save an entire species. That's incredible, as we're seeing.
 
Dr. Rae: Join us next week on the podcast when we talk to Dr. Jenny Adler. Jenny is an underwater photojournalist who has spent countless hours documenting the beauty of our planet’s vast oceans and their threatened underwater forests.
 
Dr. Jenny Adler: When you're diving and when you're in the ocean, that's the only thing that you're thinking about. You might get distracted because you're getting wrapped up in the kelp, but that is a way better problem, I think than having to respond to emails and text messages and just being able to float there and be actually, like, completely weightless is something that I just feel like there's nowhere else on earth that you can experience that.
 
Dr. Rae: That’s next time on Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom: The Podcast
 
[MUSIC ENDS]


[CREDITS]

Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom The Podcast is a production of Pineapple Street Studios and Mutual of Omaha.
 
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[1] https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/black-footed-ferret-facts-the-masked-bandits-of-the-northern-great-plains
[2] https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/black-footed-ferret-facts-the-masked-bandits-of-the-northern-great-plains
[3] https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/black-footed-ferret
 [4] https://dc.lib.unc.edu/cgi-bin/showfile.exe?CISOROOT=/minipage&CISOPTR=15068&CISOMODE=print#:~:text=Black%2Dfooted%20ferrets%20Pet%20ferrets,the%20kind%20people%20have%20tamed.
[5] https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/black-footed-ferret