Great. I wonder if this is currently the only public black footed ferret exhibit? (The two or three I have seen in the past are all gone - probably because the ferrets are nocturnal and I never actually saw one in the exhibits).
Great. I wonder if this is currently the only public black footed ferret exhibit? (The two or three I have seen in the past are all gone - probably because the ferrets are nocturnal and I never actually saw one in the exhibits).
I've seen the species at several zoos in the past but there has been a tendency for those exhibits to close down. Dakota Zoo and NEW Zoo are 2 facilities on my latest road trip that had the species on show to the public.
the black-footed ferrets which are used for display/education in zoos are older animals (to free up off-display space for younger breeding stock). All the breeding is done in non-public/off-display facilities. I'd imagine the breeders are retired at around 3 or 4 years old, so the ones which go to zoos for display would only be living another 2 or 3 years anyway.
There may be an element of "these are boring, replace them with something more active" but equally it is probably as much to do with availability of suitable individuals.
