Eighteen black-footed ferrets were released into northern Arizona

Arizona Game and Fish released 18 endangered black-footed ferrets at Aubrey Valley and Double O Ranch near Seligman, and six more at Garland Prairie between Flagstaff and Williams. Arizona's Family reported on October 11, 2026, that the animals flew in that day from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center in Colorado. Before the release, the captive-born ferrets went through survival training so they could hunt and fend for themselves.

The same day, Phoenix Zoo said 34 kits had been born across seven litters at its conservation center, its best breeding year since 1999. Many of those kits will go to the national center for the same survival training before a later release. The department is also asking volunteers this fall to help with spotlight counts.