Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Program

As Service photographer, based out of the National Conservation Training Center, Ryan Hagerty is sent on a variety of photo assignments. This month Ryan was hired to shoot the Black -Footed Ferret Recovery Program in Colorado. Here are a few of the images that he took to help further document this important endangered species program.

The black-footed ferret is considered to be the rarest mammal in North America. In 1988, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service developed the "Black-footed Ferret Recovery Plan" which emphasized species preservation through natural breeding, development of assisted reproductive technology, and establishment of multiple reintroduction sites. The objective of the captive breeding program was to maintain 240 ferrets (90 males, 150 females) of prime breeding age (1-3 years old) in captivity, and subdivide the captive populaton into different locations in order to avoid catastrophic loss at a single facility. A high priority is placed on protecting genetic diversity so the "Black-footed Ferret Genome Resource Bank" was established. This is a frozen repository of sperm from the most genetically valuable males. Ferrets were released back into the wild in Wyoming in 1991, in South Dakota and Montana in 1994, and in Arizona in 1998. The Colorado reintroduction started in 2001. Since then a total of 170 ferrets have been released in the state; 20 more will be released in October.

The Black-footed ferret Recovery Implementation Team (BFFRIT ) is a multi-agency/conservation organization effort, led by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which includes representatives from federal and state governments, zoos, and nonprofit organizations.

Media Gallery*

Additional Information

For more information about the black-footed ferret and other endangered species visit:

FWS Endangered Species Program

For more information about the recovery program visit: