For this to make sense, please check out the Oakland Zoo’s page on the domestic ferret. Over the past two weeks the page has been changed but as of this writing it has reverted back to it’s original, horrible text. I have sent a letter to their CEO:
June 3rd, 2022
Nik Dehejia
Chief Executive Officer
Oakland Zoo
P.O. Box 5238
Oakland, CA 94605
Dear Mr. Dehijia,
As the CEO of the Oakland Zoo, I wish to communicate with you the amazingly bad page you have on domestic ferrets. Opinions can be all over the place, and that is fine, but your page states facts that are unscientific, false, and quite frankly bizarre. For instance:
Unfortunately, many ferrets escape suburban life and become wild ferrets
This has not happened but is theoretically possible.
…are able to hybridize easily with other mustelids like skunks and weasels,
Ferrets can’t hybridize with any other species except the European Polecat, which is a case of reverse domestication.
making a ferocious hunting machine that can devastate native fauna.
Domestic ferrets as ferocious? I guess it depends on your definition of “ferocious”, but it is beyond a stretch of the imagination. Ferrets are known for their docility, which is one unfortunate reason they are preferred in laboratories.
A ferret will eat any animal it can successfully kill, including rats, mice, rabbits, snakes, birds, bird’s eggs and insects.
Since there are no feral ferrets, this statement is rather out there. Ferrets are very finicky, even with high-end commercial ferret diets. This info is probably related to European polecats and other mustilids, not domestic ferrets.
Predators: Mostly birds of prey, owls, eagles, hawks, mammals like coyotes, foxes, badgers and poisonous snakes such as rattlesnakes.
I would certainly hope a zoo would know the difference between venomous and poisonous.
Zoos are supposed to provide conservation and education. On your ferret page, you are doing a horrible job. The complete disregard for facts is unbelievable.
The information is so bad you aren’t damaging the reputation of domestic ferrets. You are damaging the reputation of the Oakland Zoo.
Nevertheless, I urge you to have a higher standard. Please correct the information.
The domestic ferret already suffers a public image problem. The state of California erroneously classifies them as wild animals. Never have I seen a knowledgeable person refer to them as wild. They meet every criterion for being domestic.
Sincerely,
Pat Wright
CEO – LegalizeFerrets.org
I read the article from the Oakland Zoo, and it is pure garbage. Not to mention it is full of lies. Their references are from people in the field of Primatology (gorillas, apes and monkeys). I called them but got a recording. So, I left them a message. I told them where they were wrong. But I doubt if they’re going to listen let alone understand. #1. The ferrets released in Australia were Eastern Polecats (wild ferrets) from Europe. #2. Domesticated Ferrets are de-scented, and spayed or neutered, therefore they cannot BREED. #3. Even if they did accidently get free in the wild, they would not last long as a bird of prey would soon have them for dinner. #4. Ferrets know that humans feed them. I once tried offering a banty chicken egg to them and all they did was roll it around the floor until it broke, and then lost interest in it.
When we lived in California, I had 13 at one time. They had their own room. We now live in NC, and I miss my little fuzz-butts. Instead of ferrets we have four grand kids living with us now.
Thanks Vern, Nice to hear from you! Enjoy the grand kids!
I have also wrote him a letter. Explaining how much of a a dumbass he just made himself and the zoo look with the lies that is oozing out of the trash write up. With pictures of my 4 nasty snarling beasts giving cuddles and kisses and playing with toys.
My take: in the above letter from Vern he references polecats released in Australia.. I believe it was New Zealand. Bob Church wrote about them from his around the world trip studying ferrets and relatives.
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