Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan, August 4, 2010--The Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister of the Environment and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, today announced the first wild-born black-footed ferrets in over 70 years in Canada have been observed in Grasslands National Park. Once considered North America's rarest mammal, the black-footed ferret was reintroduced to Canada in Parks Canada's Grasslands National Park in October 2009.
"The observation of wild-born ferrets is a tremendous cause for celebration and a significant benchmark in the reintroduction effort of this species," said Minister Prentice. "The Government of Canada is committed to the species at risk recovery process and the success of the black-footed ferret on the Canadian prairies."
Since their reintroduction, this once extirpated native species has been closely monitored by Parks Canada biologists and dedicated "citizen scientist" volunteers. In the early morning hours of July 25, a playful litter of kits was observed on a black-tailed prairie dog colony. The black-footed ferret mother and her 3 kits appeared healthy and engaged in honing their survival instincts. The exciting discovery was captured by a documentary film crew for Nature of Things with David Suzuki. This inspiring footage will be shared with Canadians in the coming months.
"It is a privilege and profound experience to be able to be part of this story," said documentary director, Kenton Vaughan. "This species was on the brink of extinction and now we have caught a glimpse of a new generation of wild born animals."
Last year, a total of 34 ferrets were released in the national park. After an intensive spring survey involving 975 hours of volunteer assistance, 12 of the 34 were positively identified as the minimum number of ferrets that survived through the winter. Now, the discovery of ferret kits is confirming how quickly the ferrets are adapting to their new home on the Canadian prairie.
"The reintroduction of the black-footed ferret in Grasslands National Park is a success story due to the efforts of Parks Canada staff, our partners and dedicated volunteers," added Minister Prentice. "The Government of Canada is proud to work closely with our national and international conservation partners in their ongoing efforts towards restoring a fully functioning prairie ecosystem."
Grasslands National Park of Canada, originally established in 1988, was officially proclaimed a national park in 2001. The 921 square kilometres that lie within its proposed boundaries represent, together with the surrounding ranch lands, one of the finest examples of intact mixed grass prairie habitat in Canada. The creation of Grasslands National Park would not have been possible without the stewardship of the local communities, First Nations and stakeholders. It is through their safekeeping that we are now able to share this natural and cultural prairie heritage with all Canadians.
Visual content available upon request at: 819 994-3023
Information:
Pat Fargey,
Species at Risk Specialist
Grasslands National Park
Parks Canada
306-298-2072
Backgrounder associated with this News Release.
Black-footed Ferret(Mustela nigripes)
