Black-Footed Ferret: 'Rarest Mammal In North America' Appears In Colorado Garage [Watch]

This photo was taken at the Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Program in Colorado. The black-footed ferret is considered to be the rarest mammal in North America.

The rarest mammal in North America made an appearance at a garage in Colorado this week. What is it that makes the black-footed ferret so rare?

Wildlife officials in Colorado were called to a home this week after a resident spotted a black-footed ferret inside his garage.

"Bears in garages are old news. But an endangered black-footed ferret, the rarest mammal in North America, in a Pueblo West garage?" Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) tweeted, sharing a photo of the adorable creature.

"Imagine going into your garage and finding this little black-footed ferret looking at you," the agency said in a follow-up tweet. "But don't be fooled by those eyes. This little animal is wild and will ferociously defend itself when it feels threatened."

The agency also shared videos of the creature after it was rescued and released in a prairie dog colony. Officials said the animal was healthy.

The microchip on the creature revealed that it was among the nine black-footed ferrets that were released two weeks ago in the prairie dog colony as part of conservation efforts. It was not known why it left the colony.

Rarest mammal in North America

Black-footed ferrets (mustela nigripes) may look adorable but they're actually quite fierce. According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS), they are "highly specialized predators" that depend on prairie dogs to survive, making up 90% of their diet.

However, this dependence on prairie dogs has been detrimental to the species because human activities and diseases have threatened prairie dog populations, thereby also affecting black-footed ferrets.

Black-footed ferrets, the only native ferret species in North America, were thought to be extinct twice during the 20thcentury, the agency noted. A small population of the species was rediscovered in Wyoming in 1981. However, in 1986, a disease led to a further decrease in their numbers, with only 18 individuals being known. To save the species, those 18 remaining members were captured to establish a breeding and re-introduction program, which is still ongoing.

This, as well as other efforts from federal and state agencies, Native American tribes, zoos, conservation groups and even private landowners have helped the species to bounce back. However, they remain to be one of the most endangered mammals in North America. In fact, faced with threats such as loss of habitat, non-native diseases and declines in their prey, black-footed ferret populations have been reduced to only less than 2% of their original range."

"Without ample reintroduction sites and protection from plague, full black-footed ferret recovery remains difficult," the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) noted. "Their recovery in the wild signifies the health of the grassland ecosystem which they depend on to survive."