Ferrets: Adorable companions or ecological threats in South Africa?

With their long, slender bodies and fluffy faces, ferrets are becoming increasingly popular as “pets” in South Africa. 

They are relatively new to the country and “people who are adventurous in choosing a furry friend” have shown an interest in ferrets, according to CapeNature, which is the chief custodian of the Western Cape’s natural environment.

But there are several reasons why these small predators, which belong to the weasel family, do not make ideal pets, the organisation said. Ferrets, unlike dogs and cats, have not been domesticated for thousands of years, which means that there is a lack of research and knowledge regarding diseases they might carry.

This makes it very difficult for a vet to ensure that an animal is disease-free, CapeNature said. 

“Some diseases may be transferable to indigenous wild animals such as African polecat, African weasel, honey badger, Cape clawless otter, mongoose or even humans.”

In North America, there is evidence that some of the diseases associated with the endangered American black-footed ferret are attributable to the importation of ferrets. 

“They have been found to carry rabies, for which there is no proven vaccine. In other parts of the world, ferrets have been found to be carriers of bovine tuberculosis.”

The potential ecological threat of feral populations of ferrets, whether sterilised or not, becoming established cannot be understated. The ecological effects of feral populations in New Zealand, for example, where they are categorised as an “unwanted organism”, include devastating rates of mortality among several indigenous wild animal species. 

“For these reasons, ferrets are mostly banned globally and are considered highly undesirable imports in many other parts of the world where their unfortunate import was originally permitted,” CapeNature said.

It viewed ferrets as “highly undesirable” in the Western Cape, noting that a permit is required for all activities involving the animals, including buying, selling and possessing them, in the province. 

“Anyone found keeping ferrets without a permit could be in contravention of the provisions of the nature conservation ordinance and, if found guilty, will face legal consequences.” 

There had been an increase in ferrets being kept as pets in homes as well as being caught “running wild” in recent months. 

“The increase in pet-ferret encounters in the Western Cape sadly illustrates that people are importing, keeping and or trading in ferrets without concern for the dire environmental risk that these activities pose to the precious biodiversity of the province,” CapeNature’s chief executive Ashley Naidoo said.

He urged the public to work with the organisation to curb wildlife crime by reporting any suspicious activity related to the illegal collection and trade of animals and plants. 

Ferrets are known for their significant destruction of indigenous species and are “escape artists”, according to the National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA). The society opposes keeping indigenous wild or exotic species as companion animals, its public relations and legal liaison Jacques Peacock said.

“Wildlife should remain, and roam, freely in their natural habitat, as it is inhumane to condemn wild animals to a life in captivity where their species-specific needs cannot be addressed. 

“We are further opposed to private and commercial breeding of all animals for the pet trade, including indigenous wild and exotic species,” Peacock said.

“The SPCA’s opposition to the breeding of wild animals as companion animals is based on the fact that it is inappropriate and inhumane to force a wild animal to live a captive life where their species-specific needs cannot be addressed.”

He added that wild animals are not domesticated and are often denied their five freedoms, if they are forced to endure a life in captivity. 

“Ferrets devastate our indigenous wildlife and, accordingly, we understand the stance of CapeNature. As far as we are aware, Gauteng has a similar policy towards the keeping of ferrets.”

A 2021 research paper by the DSI-NRF Centre for Excellence in Invasion Biology and the Centre for Functional biodiversity at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, which focused on predicting the potential distribution of non-native mammalian species sold in South Africa’s pet trade, described how the pet trade is one of the main pathways of introduction of several mammals worldwide.

The domesticated ferret was among 14 assessed species and the researchers noted that while some of the species assessed were not commonly sold in the pet trade, they were found to have environmental and socio-economic effects, including Mongolian gerbils, domesticated ferrets and sugar gliders. 

They found that bioclimatic variables — temperature and rainfall — could also play a role in the distribution of domesticated ferrets in South Africa, with a highly suitable distribution in the coastal areas. 

“However, this species could occupy lowland habitats as it is associated with them in western Europe and New Zealand, where it is invasive. Domesticated ferrets may negatively impact the biodiversity in the coastal areas if they become successful invaders in South Africa. 

“In New Zealand, domesticated ferrets became successful invaders because of the lack of predators and they have been reported to predate on native penguins and ground-nesting birds,” the research found.