http://www.prairiewildlife.org/faqs.html By 1987 there were only 18 black-footed ferrets left in the world. Those last 18 animals were brought into captivity to start a successful breeding program. Black-footed ferrets are currently bred at Louisville Zoo, Toronto Zoo, The Phoenix Zoo, Smithsonian’s Conservation & Research Center, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, the National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center and an outdoor facility in New Mexico. with system:unfiled