News of Riverton, Lander and Fremont County, Wyoming, from the
Ranger's award winning journalists. From Wyo. roots, ferrets now
may be wild in S.D. Dec 27, 2012 - The Associated Press SIOUX
FALLS, S.D. -- A species of ferrets once thought to be extinct
has been seen outside of special management areas in South
Dakota, sparking hope in some biologists that a new wild colony
of black-footed ferrets has been discovered. A wildlife
biologist with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe said an adult
ferret and two juveniles spotted during a nighttime survey in
prairie dog towns west of Mobridge could be the first sighting
of the creatures in the wild in more than three decades. The
animals were saved from extinction through intervention in
Wyoming and have expanded gradually from there, but always in
monitored colonies. "It's pretty exciting," biologist Barry
Betts said. "I've been in the business for 40 years, and this is
only the second time in my life that I've ever seen a black-
footed ferret." The Standing Rock tribe s