Recovery Information
On August 19th, 2009, the USFWS released a recovery plan that would capture, breed, and release the ferrets into the wild. Its estimated cost was $750,000 from the FWS (Fish and Wildlife Service), and $200,000 per zoo among 5. The research from 2009-2011 costed the FWS $45,000, the WAFWA $270,000, the USGS (US Geological Survey) $200,000 and the DOD $20,000. The flea control from 2009-2011 costed the FWS $70,000, the Utah Funds $60,000 and the University of Missouri $20,000. The estimated cost from 2010-2014 to help the habitats of the ferret is $150,000 from the FWS per site (there are two sites), per year, and for their partners, $150,000 per site, per year. Lastly, the estimated amount to complete all of these tasks was $70,000 for the FWS. The November 2013 revised plan is listed to the right along with the estimated cost (US Fish and Wildlife Service, "Spotlight Species").
US Fish and Wildlife Service. Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Plan. Denver: n.p., 2013. PDF. <http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/20131108%20BFF%202nd%20Rev.%20Final%20Recovery%20Plan.pdf>.
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ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGY. N.d. Smithsonian. Smithsonian National Zoological Park. Web. 11 Dec. 2014. <http://nationalzoo.si.edu/SCBI/reproductivescience/recoverbfferret/>.
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Why Save the BFFs
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Personal Thoughts/Opinions |
The Black Footed Ferret is the only species of ferret that is native to North America. If the Black Footed Ferret becomes extinct, 130 plant and animal species in its ecosystem will suffer because of their reliance on the Black Footed Ferret ("Frequently Asked").
So, why should we save endangered species? The death of one species causes a chain reaction that affects many other species in that same ecosystem. Many species have major contributions to medicine because each organism contains evolved genes. If a species that contained an important medicine in it died, it would not only affect the animal kingdom, but also, the human population. These species can contain things from penicillin, to pain killers. The diverse species on Earth can also provide as a food source for humans. It is estimated that the USFWS receives 85 billion dollars to ensure the conservation of species (Service, U.S.).
It is estimated that the amount needed to just reduce the number of endangered species is 5 billion dollars per year. In order to maintain areas that need to be protected to ensure the conservation of these endangered species, it is estimated to cost a total of around 76 billion dollars (Chew).
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The Black Footed Ferret plays the essential role of controlling the population of Prairie Dogs in the grassland biome. Without the Black Footed Ferret species, the population of Prairie Dogs would heavily increase. Much like if any other animal species, the Black Footed Ferret is essential to it's ecosystem. If the Black Footed Ferret becomes extinct, the food chain and web of plants and animals in its ecosystem will be disturbed which may cause an unforeseen chain reaction to the extinction of other species as well.
It is essential that we try to save all endangered species because they are vital to their own ecosystem. The death of one species can lead to a disruption in the food web of many other species. By saving endangered species, we are preventing this from happening. Many endangered species are also essential because they have unique properties that contribute to modern medicine. A species that is at risk of being extinct could, with further research, lead to discovering the cure to cancer or any other disease.
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