Revision History for Fact Sheet 2008-3087 Tonie E. Rocke Protecting Black-Footed Ferrets and Prairie Dogs Against Sylvatic Plague ----------------------------------------------------- Posted online October 8, 2008 ----------------------------------------------------- Revised and reposted May 2011 The text version was modified slightly with respect to contemporary actions in the first version, now in the past. Numbers have changed in the sidebar. Captive breeding has now produced 7000 young, formerly 6000. As of the first version, 2000 ferrets were introduced. That number has now grown to 2,600. The number of prairie dogs at Conata Basin that have succumbed to plague has risen from one-third of the population to two-thirds of the population. At Conata Basin the number of ferret deaths from plague is no longer "unknown". The 100 ferret deaths is about one-third of their population there. More information is provided about the use and characteristics of vaccine laden baits, the distribution methods, and success of uptake. A completely new section is included focused on the establishment of an Oral Plague Vaccine (OPV) Work Group. There are some new photos, including a close-up look at some of the vaccine-laden oral baits. -----------------------------------------------------