Budget cuts still loom for wildlife, 'No Otter Zone' repealed, The ESA turning 40
Jamie Rappaport Clark, Defenders of Wildlife
Take action now to protect funding for wildlife conservation.
The black-footed ferret has come a long way since 1986, when just 18 of them remained in captivity. Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that about 750 ferrets exist in the wild. We still have a long way to go, but for a species twice on the very brink of extinction, we are within reach of an amazingly full recovery for the black-footed ferret.
With an estimated population of only 2,800 off of California’s coast, the southern sea otter has finally caught a break! With your help, Defenders supporters sent more than 11,600 comments to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to support the repeal of the "no otter zone." And they did it! Now sea otters will be able to move and expand their range naturally, something that science shows a species needs in order to recover. This is a huge and long-awaited victory; one that we hope will allow the southern sea otter to move closer to recovery.
Read more about how the ESA has helped protect and preserve wildlife.