Scientists: Black-footed ferrets are highly specialized predators, finely tuned for life on the prairie. Black-footed ferret: I have chosen this squash as my mortal enemy. BFFs were declared extinct in 1979. Just two years later, a small population was discovered along the banks of the Greybull River in Wyoming. Today they're thriving thanks to captive breeding, plague management, habitat restoration, and, apparently, squash-based cross-training. Learn more about the important science being done