the Black-Footed Ferret

A species almost gone extinct

Black-footed ferret Black-footed ferret

This Mustela Nigripes is a flagship & indicator species

It indicates the health of its parent environment, the grasslands, and its main prety, the prarie dog

and helps over 130 species, providing services from population control to eagle food.

But, what if...

Declared Extinct (1974)

The only native ferret species to Northwest America

Black-Footed Found (1981)

One of the most successful from critically endangered to endangered - recovery efforts and...

Elizabeth Ann - Cloned Black-Footed Ferret

Elizabeth Ann, a Black-footed ferret, staring at the camera with a ball in the background

Because there were so few black-footed ferrets, it caused a decrease in genetic diversity, starting to lead to inbreeding. In turn, this inbreeding depression could have stopped the species for good. However, Revive and Restore, a biomedical company for good, went in to clone this species to increase its genetic diversity. Thus, the first cloned endangered animal, Elizabeth Ann, was born.