Why are European polecat ferrets endangered?

Answer 1

Polecats are endangered for a number of reasons. One is due to persecution - polecats make short work of a pen full of artificially fattened pheasants and like the majority of predatory animals once they've gained entry to such a pen will get carried away, killing several birds rather than one. This has not endeared them to gamekeepers and those who make a living from rich businesspeople who like to travel into the country and shoot fat, slow birds.

Another reason is that they are sometimes caught in snares and traps set for rabbits, an important source of food in many parts of Europe for humans. Since ferrets like to eat them too, they're often found in places where rabbits live - precisely where humans place their traps. They're also deliberately trapped and hunted for the fur trade - though not as common as it once was, trapping polecats was once an important part of this unpleasant and cruel practice. There are also those who hunt them for "fun."

Many polecats, along with weasels, stoats, badgers and their other cousins, die on roads. Though nimble and intelligent, they're much slower than cars.

Thankfully, many countrymen have begun to realise that polecats do an invaluable service in killing vermin including rabbits, rats and mice. This means that, rather than exterminating polecats on their land, they encourage them while making pheasant pens more secure and accepting that the occasional missing ferret is a small price to pay in return for the large numbers of rodents a polecat will kill in a year. As a result their numbers are beginning to recover in some areas.