Black-footed ferrets―North America’s only native ferret species― were thought to be extinct until a small population of 18 individuals was discovered in 1981. Luckily, the species has rebounded from the brink of extinction thanks to successful breeding programs, including at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va. where 726 black-footed ferrets have been born since 1988. This project will be discussed at the Smithsonian's Earth Optimism Summit April 21-23, 2017.
Photo credit: Smithsonian’s National Zoo