By Sophia Byl
The world’s biodiversity is in grave danger—the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity has calculated that the Earth loses about 150 species a day to extinction. Can you believe that 10 percent of all animals, plants, and other various life on the planet will disappear in a decade? That number has increased exponentially across time, and it certainly isn’t anywhere near the healthy rate of extinction that should be occurring in nature (thanks, humanity). We’ve accepted the fact that this is our fault and something must be done—but what is that something? One person may be able to donate to wildlife funds and dispose of recyclables properly, but if we are to reverse the damage we’ve done to the environment, more drastic measures must be taken.
The black-footed ferret brings to the table an intriguing story of an animal species that narrowly dodged the unforgiving blade of extinction. During the 19th century, a sharp decline hit the population of prairie dogs, the ferret’s main food source, living in the North American Great Plains. This was primarily due to an epizootic (or cross-species) outbreak of the sylvatic plague, which ravaged both the ferrets and their prey. This matter was not helped by the fact that the black-footed ferret was then hunted for its fur.
The odds continued stacking against the ferrets until the species was officially declared extinct in 1980. The world mourned the loss of one of the cutest mammals to have roamed this great planet… until a living specimen was found on a ranch in Wyoming the following year, courtesy of a herding dog named Shep. This got the attention of multiple wildlife organizations, who captured the remaining 18 or so wild black-footed ferrets in a valiant attempt to revive the species. Breeding projects were kickstarted, but it was a constant back-and-forth battle against sylvatic plague outbreaks. There needed to be a major upset in favor of the ferrets, and quick. And that major upset’s name was Elizabeth Ann.
Elizabeth Ann is an identical genetic clone of Willa, a ferret who died in the 80’s during the main time of ferret population fiasco, but whose cells were frozen and preserved by the San Diego Global Frozen Zoo. Willa’s cells were placed into a surrogate mother, and little Lizzie was born on December 10th (celebrate the upcoming birthday!) as the first ever clone of an endangered species. Dubbed a “win for biodiversity and for genetic rescue” by the Revive & Restore organization that co-led the effort, she is certainly a groundbreaking icon in the genetic engineering field.
Nowadays, slow and careful efforts are being made to reintroduce the black-footed ferret to its natural habitat. About 350 exist in the wild today, which is wonderful compared to a couple decades ago, but is still a symbol of the danger descending upon the natural diversity of the planet. So how can we help?
Making the largest contribution, logically, is wildlife federations that can directly assist the animals. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the World Wildlife Fund specifically are managing the artificial population of black-footed ferrets in the Great Plains and helping them adjust back to a natural life. The WWF website allows you to symbolically “adopt” certain endangered species—you donate to the effort to save the species, and in return receive a commemorative stuffed animal. This holiday season, why not spread the joy of giving to a furry, feathery, or flippered friend, while saving lives in the process?
This time of year also is characteristic of airborne disease season. Researchers have been hard at work vaccinating ferrets against the sylvatic plague that first caused their population to tank, as well as other contagious diseases such as canine distemper and COVID-19. COVID in particular can mutate as it jumps across species, and no one wants another new variant, especially one we’d have decreased immunity to due to it originating from another species, so vaccinate your pets and yourself.
Get that herd immunity and feel good knowing that you’re helping to protect not just other humans, but other living organisms. Just being conscious of the issue is the first step to helping resolve it. The next step is action—saving the critically endangered animals of this world won’t be easy, but it needs to happen if biodiversity is to be preserved. Pete Gober with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sums it up the best: “The price of peace is eternal vigilance.”
