The black-footed ferret was once common in the northern Mid West United States but was thought to be extinct until 1981, when a small colony was discovered in Wyoming. Four years later, as conservationists argued over how best to preserve the colony, it was wiped out by canine distemper. This book analyses the lessons to be learnt, when conservationists are faced with the choice of bringing an entire remnant population of a species into captivity, or risking its extinction in the wild. Required reading for all involved with endangered species conservation.