'His legacy lives on': Oldest member of endangered North American species dies in Lawrence

LAWRENCE (KSNT) - Lawrence officials announced that the oldest living member of one of North America's most endangered and rarest species has passed away.

The City of Lawrence shared the news through its social media Wednesday, June 28. Lawrence Kansas Parks and Recreation, the caretakers of Pancake the black-footed ferret, said Pancake died at the age of eight last weekend. Pancake was the oldest living black-footed ferret in captivity according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

Pancake was only two when he arrived at Prairie Park Nature Center from the USFWS black-footed ferret Conservation Center in Colorado, according to the City of Lawrence. Pancake was born in captivity with the intention of later being released to help the species increase its population. However, as Pancake imprinted on humans at a young age, he was unable to be released into the wild and not selected for breeding.

"Since he was comfortable around people, Pancake was a great educational ambassador. He was quite interactive with the public (until recently as his age limited his playfulness). He would paw playfully at the glass, wrestle his stuffed toys, and hop backward with his mouth wide open, displaying the notable "ferret dance." People often crowded around his enclosure to enjoy his spirited nature. Whenever the nature center covered a program on endangered species, prairie wildlife, or carnivorous diets, Pancake was the show's star."

City of Lawrence social media excerpt

Black-footed ferrets are one of the most endangered species in Kansas and North America, according to the USFWS. They are so rare in Kansas that the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) say the last confirmed sighting of the species in the state was in 1957 and it is unknown if any members of the species still live in the state. Conservationists have taken steps to help the species through breeding and even cloning programs in Lawrence to help them recover.

"We are saddened at the loss of Pancake, but we hold dear the memories of his long life and the joy he brought to the nature center. His legacy lives on as an educational ambassador who taught nature center program attendees and visitors the importance of this endangered species and touched people’s hearts, inspiring them to care about wildlife conservation."

City of Lawrence social media excerpt

The USFWS says the black-footed ferret is the only ferret species native to the Americas. They were largely thought to be extinct throughout their territory due to landscape alterations from agricultural expansion the destruction of prairie dogs at the end of the late 1950s. The discovery of a small population in 1964 led to the creation of captive breeding programs in the hopes of giving the species a chance to bounce back. The biggest challenges faced by the species today include disease, drought, declining genetic fitness and inbreeding.