Blackfooted ferrets, North America’s only native ferret, still depend on humans for survival. That’s why a dedicated team has engineered new and innovative tools to help them make it in the wild.

Known as the “masked bandit of the prairie,” the blackfooted ferret is an important predator in the central North American grasslands. After surviving multiple brushes with extinction, it is making a remarkable return to its home on the prairie. Thanks to the combined efforts of scientists and indigenous communities, the species was rescued and now has a robust captive population, complete with adorable baby ferrets and even the first cloned U.S. endangered animal.

Following reintroductions to the wild, new challenges like sylvatic plague arise for conservationists. Since every ferret on the prairie is precious, scientists have developed cuttingedge tools to keep them safe and healthy, including special cameras to detect ferrets in the dark and diseasebusting food pellets distributed by ATV and drone. Together, these ferretfriendly tactics are helping the masked bandit population grow, and in turn, bring balance back to North America’s grassland ecosystem.

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