“Domestic weasel” [Ferret] - Mustela putorius
Did you know that ferrets were domesticated over 2500 years ago? They were used in ancient Rome to hunt rabbits, moles, and other ground-dwelling animals, and the verb “ferreting” (as in ferreting out) came from their inquisitive and seeking nature.
Throughout the middle ages, they were used by the nobility and the gentry, but their use during the Renaissance decreased. Until the late-20th century, domestic ferrets were on the decline, but in the mid-1980s, their popularity as pets began to boom. Unfortunately, in some countries, such as New Zealand, feral ferret colonies have destroyed indigenous wildlife. In North America and Northern Europe, however, pet ferrets have continued to stay popular, and wild colonies have not been established thus far.
I miss my ferrets..
Sadly in the USA the black footed ferrets ( native ) are almost extinct.( once deemed extinct..
pet ferrets are spayed and neutered before we can get them unless you have a breeders license which is WHY they don’t have colonies.
but we should be saving the Black footed ferretsThankfully, black-footed ferrets are recovering fairly well…they’re no Canada goose, but they’re acclimating to reintroduction amazingly, considering that they’re carnivores. Carnivores are much more difficult to reintroduce than herbivores and omnivores, but the strategy being used is proving to create fairly good hunters, and the vast majority are surviving and reproducing.
As pets, they’re fun…but they steal everything shiny. Or soft. Or whatever they like, really. When I used to play viola, they stole my (non-shiny) chin rests ALL THE TIME and kept changing their hiding spots. Le sigh.
Illustration on the Festival of Fools and CQAF for Quarter Beat Magazine’s May Issue, out in Belfast now…
