The
black-footed ferret (
Mustela nigripes), also known as the
American polecat or
prairie dog hunter, is a species of
mustelid native to central
North America. It is listed as
endangered by the
IUCN, because of its very small and restricted populations. First discovered by
Audubon and
Bachman in 1851, the species declined throughout the 20th century, primarily as a result of decreases in
prairie dog populations and
sylvatic plague. It was declared extinct in 1979 until Lucille Hogg's dog brought a dead black-footed ferret to her door in
Meeteetse, Wyoming in 1981. That remnant population of a few dozen ferrets lasted there until the animals were considered
extinct in the wild in 1987. However, a captive breeding program launched by the
United States Fish and Wildlife Service resulted in its reintroduction into eight western states and
Mexico from 1991–2008. There are now over 1,000 mature, wild-born individuals in the wild across 18 populations, with four self-sustaining populations in
South Dakota (two),
Arizona and
Wyoming.