Dean E. Biggins is a Wildlife Biologist for the U. S. Geological Survey, at the Midcontinent Ecological Science Center in Fort Collins, CO. Biggins completed his undergraduate degree at California State University, Humboldt, before receiving his Master's in Wildlife Biology from the University of Montana in 1976. Biggins did research for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from 1976 to 1993. He recently completed his Ph.D. in Zoology at Colorado State University.

Biggins' research focuses on the ecology of the Black-footed ferret, one of the most severely endangered species in the United States. A member of the Black-footed Ferret Recovery Implementation Team, Biggins and his colleagues work to raise, release and track individual ferrets.

An expert on black-footed ferrets, polecats and other related species in North America and Asia, Biggins is the author of nearly 50 scientific publications.

2.14.01 Ted Sutton asked:
I own a 1/4 section of pasture/hay land that has a healthy population of gophers or ground squirrels. I have long since abandoned poison and have seen a steady growth of natural predators living off this population. I would be interested in participating in any programs that might involve releasing these animals into these conditions. If I can be of assistance in this regard, please let me know.

Biggins' response:
Your mention of the relationship between your ground squirrels and other predators is an example of the fundamental importance of maintaining an adequate number of small herbivores to support an entire system above that level. I have allowed voles (field mice, genus Microtus) to become abundant on my own small piece of property for the same reason, and now routinely see foxes, hawks, and other predators. I applaud your reluctance to use poisons to control the ground squirrels. I appreciate the offer of your habitat as a black-footed ferret release site but don't think ferrets would stay on your colony of ground squirrels. These ferrets are specialists on prairie dogs of several species, which are closely related to ground squirrels but larger. Ferrets have preyed upon ground squirrels when the squirrels occurred on prairie dog colonies, but the ferrets have never left a prairie dog colony to move to nearby ground squirrel colonies.

Nevertheless, I hope you will continue to tolerate the ground squirrels on your land. Too often our definition of "pest" is any animal that might not be part of the "grass>>cow>>human" food chain. Hopefully, the other predators that have been attracted to the ground squirrel colony will help keep things in balance.

Thanks for your interest in the black-footed ferret program, and your offer to help.

2.14.01 MATOAKA asked:
Why do you insist on bringing back extinct creatures, i.e. the ferrets, by captive breeding? As you saw, it didn't work. Just as the condors. You don't BUILD animals in labs and TRY THEM OUT on specially-built CIRCUITS like new car models. Genetic engineering, cloning, cryo-conservation or growing "glow-in-the-dark" rhesus monkeys are other horrors better left to the realm of nightmares . If the ferret extinguishes itself, allow it to occur and blame the true culprit: Homo Sapiens' overpopulation.

Biggins' response:
Actually, we have not brought back any extinct creatures. As the bumper stickers say "EXTINCTION IS FOREVER." This was the point that was constantly on my mind as I went through the unsavory task of trapping the last free-ranging black-footed ferrets for the captive breeding program. Humans had brought the ferret to its dire status of only 10 remaining individuals in winter of 1985, and it was clear that only extreme human intervention would prevent its extinction. Although I agree with your contention that the BIG problem is global overpopulation by our species, I think we are buying time when we prevent extinctions. To "allow it [extinction] to occur" is final, precluding all other options. Because of the captive breeding program, we still have black-footed ferrets, and Homo sapiens has additional time to "get its act together." In fact, the ferret is now in much better shape than it was when we "rediscovered" the species in Wyoming in 1981. The last remaining wild population at Meeteetse, Wyoming had a maximum of 129 individuals. There are now 8 reintroduction sites with >300 free-ranging ferrets, and ferrets are so productive at one of those sites that we are moving excess wild-born animals to other sites. In addition, there is a captive population of about 250 breeders, providing animals for reintroduction and a hedge against any unforeseen disasters in the wild. There are problems ahead of us (with habitat, and an introduced disease), but we have gained some security for the species.

By the way, cloning and genetic engineering in the sense of splicing portions of the genome of other taxa into the ferret genome, are not used in the ferret program. Cryopreservation and artificial insemination are occasionally used in order to preserve genetic diversity, but most breeding in the captive program is accomplished by traditional pairings of animals.

I think the ferret program and the condor program are examples of endangered species "rescue" strategies that are working. We got rather quick results with ferrets, in part because they breed in their first year. Condors will take much longer. It's a shame that we need such emergency programs, however. We should not be waiting so long to take action, and we certainly should be thinking ahead to resolving the BIG problem noted above.

2.14.01 Bill Forbes asked:
What is the status of plans to reintroduce black-footed ferrets to the largest remaining colony of black-tailed prairie dogs, located near Janos, Chihuahua, Mexico? Where else might you attempt to restore ferret populations?

Biggins' response:
It sounds like you have done a better than average job of keeping up with developments in the black-footed ferret recovery program! At the present time the cluster of prairie dog colonies near Janos is indeed the largest black-tailed prairie dog complex in North America, and we have been working on the idea of ferret reintroductions there since ferret releases began in 1991. The Chihuahuan complex is not doing as well as it was 10 years ago when we first visited it, but recent conservation efforts by our Mexican colleagues are making headway. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently has made significant progress in planning for a ferret release there, and we hope to conduct a site visit within the next couple of months. Releases of ferrets could occur this year or next.

We are running out of large complexes (10,000 acres or more) for ferret release, but there are many smaller sites. The smaller sites (for example, those with about 1,000 acres of prairie dog colonies) will require more intensive monitoring and management. It will take some dedicated people to make them work. These could be developed in many places, but I personally would like to see some examples in Kansas and Nebraska. Those states presently have no ferret reintroduction sites, and they are mostly east of the present distribution of plague (a BIG advantage).

2.20.01 Massanari asked:
Why do you feed the ferrets prairie dogs when they are listed as endangered animals? Where would I find other endangered animals in Utah?

Biggins' response:
If you live in Utah, you do indeed have a prairie dog in your state that is on the federal endangered species list. It is the Utah prairie dog (Cynomys parvidens). The other two species of prairie dogs in Utah, the white-tailed prairie dog (C. leucurus) and the Gunnison's prairie dog (C. gunnisoni) are not endangered.

Black-footed ferrets apparently did not occur on the habitat of the Utah prairie dog, but were found with white-tailed prairie dogs and Gunnison's prairie dogs. Thus, wild ferrets did not eat Utah prairie dogs, and Utah prairie dogs are not fed to captive ferrets. However, white-tailed prairie dogs, Gunnison's prairie dogs, and black-tailed prairie dogs (C. ludovicianus) are fed to captive ferrets before the ferrets are released into the wild. This is done in order to train (condition) them to eat prairie dog meat, which is their natural food in the wild. There is a black-footed ferret reintroduction site in eastern Utah, on white-tailed prairie dog habitat.

There are many other endangered animals in Utah, in almost every part of the state. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a good web site on endangered species http://endangered.fws.gov

I did a search on that site and found that they list 24 vertebrate species as endangered or threatened in Utah.