Archives for : Black footed ferrets

A New Year, A New Start and New Possibilities

Posted by :David Manly On : January 5, 2011
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Category: 2011, Black footed ferrets, MRP, Scientific American

Happy 2011 everyone!

It is five days into the new year, and I hope everyone is still sticking to their New Year’s resolutions (or at least trying to).

I am excited and thrilled to say that the new year has started off with a bang, as something I wrote was chosen to be out on the Scientific American Guest Blog.

Yes, one of the most prestigious science magazines asked me to write a post, and I said yes without hesitation. But, now I was faced with the daunting task of what to write about.

Those of you who read my blog regularly know that in the summer of 2009, I embarked on a journey to South Dakota for my Masters of Journalism project to find an endangered species. My adventures were a very interesting one, and I always thought that there was more than enough material for my project as well as another article.

I pitched it to SciAm, and they loved it!

So, here is a more in-depth look at me spending a few days with “The Ferret Hunters”

Black-footed ferret project COMPLETE

Posted by :David Manly On : June 13, 2010
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Category: Black footed ferrets, MRP

Sorry for the long delay between posts, but it’s gotten surprisingly hectic over here.

I’ve got a few things on my plate that are keeping me busy, and some will be posted here (as well as on other sites as well), so I will keep you posted.

But, I just wanted to direct you to a project of mine that began while I was finishing up my Master’s of Journalism degree. The project deals with the plight of the endangered North American black-footed ferret, a cute mammal that has been in danger for many, many years.

I decided to create a multimedia website devoted to discovering what happened to cause its classification of endangered, what is being done in the United States and Canada and what the future could hold for the magnificent animal.

Thanks to an intrepid young web-designer and all the fellow students and professors who helped me out with this project, it became something that I am immensely proud of.

So please, do go check out all the video’s, slideshows, text and photo galleries I have there … and learn about an animal that needs our help.

Check out: “Back from the brink: The story of the North American black-footed ferret.”

David vs. Wall, South Dakota

Posted by :David Manly On : September 3, 2009
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Category: Black footed ferrets, South Dakota, Wall

It had been a while since my last blog post, and for that I apologize.

I returned safely to Toronto from South Dakota, but I was very tired, and it took me a while to get back to normal.

Some of the details of my trip will have to be a little vague, as it will eventually go onto my website. Same with the pictures I took, as I cannot allow them to enter the public domain just yet.

I started out my trip to South Dakota, with a flight from Toronto to a major U.S. hub airport: Chicago O’Hare. Then, I caught a connecting flight to Rapid City, South Dakota. After picking up all my bags (including all of the friggin HEAVY camera equipment), I picked up my rental car, plugged in my GPS and drove the hour to Wall, South Dakota. Haven’t heard of it? I’m not surprised.

Picture the middle of nowhere in your minds. Add some mountains in the background, a population of just of 800 people and a town that lasts for roughly 12 blocks. TADA! That is Wall.

Wall is small. Very small and very quiet. And when I mean quiet, I mean eerily quiet.

Anyway, I checked into my motel, unpacked and went to Wall Drug, the biggest store in Wall.

The reason? I needed toothpaste, as the security woman at the Toronto airport threw out my toothpaste.

I then called my contact in the ferret program and arranged to meet him at 6:45 pm, to work ALL night. And we did.

Most of the work I was helping with was driving around in 4×4’s trying to spot Black footed ferrets, which is surprisingly difficult. Then, once you spot one, you place a trap to hopefully catch it. If the ferret is caught and is not already marked, you bring it into the medical trailer for various tests and vaccines. Once completed, the ferret is released back into its burrow.

That process went until 7:30 am the following morning. To make a long story short, it was a looooooong night.

I went back to my motel, showered, ate and went to bed until 4 pm. I then woke up, ate and showered again, and then got ready to repeat the whole process over again.

After the second night, I got the chance to explore the National Park where I was working a bit, and got to see Bison and Prairie dogs in the wild. This was in addition to the ferrets, grasshoppers, rabbits, deer and badgers I observed during the night.

My last day in Wall, after the third night, I interviewed the man I was working with, as well as some more footage for my site.

I then went back to the motel, recorded my last video diary (yes, I made video diaries), packed up and left.

By the end of it, even though it was only three days, I was massively sleep deprived and my sleep/wake cycle was all shot to shit. But, I think I got some good footage of various animals, interesting interviews and some good footage of the ferret program.

Suffice to say, it was a crazy time in a small town.

Here’s hoping it turns out as well as I hope! I will keep you all updated as it develops.

Now, this is NOT a picture I took, but it should show you just how cute and adorable the ferrets are. Enjoy.