Customer Reviews

Prairie Night: Black-Footed Ferrets and the Recovery of Endangered Species

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Black-footed ferrets, as some of you will already know, are an *extremely* endangered animal that lives in prairie dog colonies. They were believed extinct until a dog in Meeteetse, Wyoming, killed one who was stealing from his supper dish. Fortunately, that wasn't the last of the ferrets. The Meeteetse community survives, and they have been reintroduced into a few national parks, where they are hanging on. The authors are experts on black-footed ferret biology, and have been active in the recovery programs for this species.

Knowing all this, I expected an interesting but somewhat dry account. Well, I was surprised. The book is remarkably lively, at least for the first two-thirds or so.

Each chapter starts with a story from a ferret's life, such as a prairie dog kill or a mating. One or more of the authors observed each of these events, and they "humanize" the animals considerably. After the story, each chapter moves to a discussion of its theme, such as habitat or predatory behavior. These are written in an easy, almost-conversational style (but with too many scientific passive voices). The authors provide a plausible account of the ferret, filling in gaps with reference to closely-related species such as the Siberian ferret.

Though not organized as such, the book consists of three parts. The first part covers both ferret and prairie dog ecology, interlaced with stories of individual animals. For example, the chapter on ferret hunting techniques begins with a narrative of a ferret killing a prairie dog. This literary device works well to grab your attention and sets the stage for the more scientific material that follows in each chapter. This part is written in a lively style throughout and is accessible to the general reader.

The middle part of the book focuses on the rediscovery of black-footed ferrets outside Meeteetse, Wyoming, in 1981. It also covers the initial recovery effort and captive breeding program, and it relies heavily on the involvement of the authors in these efforts. They are very critical of the state of Wyoming and of the decision by the US Fish and Wildlife Service to delegate authority for ferret recovery to the state. For all its strengths, it is written in a slightly less accessible style.

The third part tries to draw general lessons about endangered-species recovery from these experiences. A single chapter would have sufficed, but the authors drag these issues out over several chapters. They attempt to draw lessons about the politics of endangered species, organizational behavior, and other social-scientific topics, but in the end they do not have sufficient familiarity with these issues to develop much insight into these issues. As a result, too much of this part reads like summaries of a social-scientific literature - - "things we wish we had understood better when we began ferret recovery." The style becomes dry, and the book drags.

I was going to give this book five stars two-thirds of the way through, and it lost that star in these final chapters. The first half or two-thirds is very strong, and an excellent introduction to black-footed ferrets. You'll also learn a lot about black-tailed prairie dogs. If, in the later chapters, your interest wanes - - put the book down. You won't miss anything.

An excellent book, covering everything from the history of this rare species, its decline, the reasons for its near-extinction, its biology, and the ongoing recovery program. I recommend this book to anybody interested in black-footed ferrets or any endangered species recovery. The book is written in layman's terms without being overly simple in explanation with plenty of pictures and drawings to make it more interesting. A great addition to any library!