Rathlin Island off the north of Northern Ireland is now free from feral ferrets that were harming its native seabirds. Conservationists say this is the first time these nonnative animals, which were domesticated from polecats some 2,000 years ago, have been completely eradicated from any island. Ferrets (Mustela furo) were introduced to Rathlin in the […]
Tag: Ferrets
Endangered Cloned Ferret Gives Birth to Healthy Kits
A significant advancement in wildlife Conservation has been achieved with the birth of two healthy kits from Antonia, a cloned black-footed ferret. Antonia’s existence traces back to Willa, a genetically diverse ferret whose genetic material has been preserved since 1988 at the San Diego Zoo’s Frozen Zoo. Cloning Willa’s cells has offered hope for increasing […]
Two Black-Footed Ferrets Successfully Cloned to Bolster Endangered Species Recovery Efforts
The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has announced the successful cloning of two black-footed ferrets, Noreen and Antonia. Born last May, these ferrets represent a crucial step in the ongoing battle to save the critically endangered species. Utilizing tissue samples collected from a female ferret named Willa back in 1988, scientists were able to […]