Happy National Ferret Day! On April 2, Hob and Jill went up the hill with their little Kits to celebrate today because that’s some serious business.
Male ferrets are called Hobs, and female ferrets are called Jills. Their offspring are called Kits. The whole family is called a business.
These carnivores join the mustelid family, which includes the otter, badger, weasel, marten, mink, and wolverine. Humans domesticated these crafty hunters over 2,000 years ago, specifically for their hunting abilities.
Landowners used them to “ferret” out and kill vermin that would otherwise grow out of control. Their cunning and wile made ferrets a useful tool for many. There’s no questioning whether a ferret is a carnivore once you examine their razor-sharp teeth.
In North America, the black-footed ferret is one of the most endangered North American mammals. Once thought to be completely decimated, 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 five hundred ferrets alive in the wild with more in breeding programs preparing to be reintroduced into the wild.
HOW TO OBSERVE
Learn more about the conservation of the black-footed ferret and its rediscovery. Feel free to watch the twenty-nine-minute 2017 American historical documentary short film 'Ferret Town' to learn more.
Have you invited a ferret to share your home? Share your experiences with your ferret companion. Celebrate by learning more about ferrets and how they live and grow.
Families and classrooms, download and print this ferret coloring sheet by visiting the website below:
Use #NationalFerretDay to post on social media.
HISTORY
For decades, ferret lovers celebrated National Ferret Day. However, recognition didn’t come until 2014 when Carol Roche of New York and the American Ferret Association made it possible.
At that time, Chase’s Calendar of Events formally recognized the observance.
#NationalFerretDay
@asa_ferret
@nichecinema
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