Through our AZA networks, CuriOdyssey partnered with the Smithsonian Zoo to acquire 3 new European ferrets. Not only will these new ambassadors connect our audiences to wildlife and animal science, but also to an exciting conservation science story!

These European ferrets participated as sibling surrogates in a collaborative effort between the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI), and AZA to clone black-footed ferrets, the only ferret native to the US. Thought to be extinct twice in the 20th century, programs like the Black-footed Ferret Recovery Program aim to reintroduce black-footed ferrets into the wild. Of the many interventions to create a future for black-footed ferrets, advancements in cloning are helping address genetic bottlenecks and disease threats that complicate reintroduction and wild population recovery efforts.

This conservation success story is made possible by accredited zoos, like ours, working in partnership with government and private sector entities to envision creative solutions to conservation crises. While providing quality care to these captive-bred, masked conservation superheroes may be the role CuriOdyssey plays in this particular conservation science story, it serves as inspiration for us to look for other ways to contribute to positive change and a brighter future! 

Learn more about this cloning effort.