The American government is using drones to fire M&Ms at ferrets

The Defenders of Wildlife Organization said there are only 300 black-footed ferrets in the wild. In The Guardian, Randy Machett, a FWS biologist, relates that a “glorified gumball machine” attached to GPS-guided drones could deliver the vaccine baits reliably – three at a time – at precise intervals across critical habitat. Which is exactly what the US Fish and Wildlife (FWS) is planning to do.

Here’s a little animal magnetism: the US Government plans to use drones to save one of the most endangered species in North America- the black-footed ferret. Prairie dogs are considered a “keystone” species due to their importance to a range of animals, such as eagles, owls and coyotes.

As per an FWS document outlining the project that was published March 31, 2016, the ferrets also use the burrows of prairie dogs for shelter. If it weren’t for the breeding of seven remaining animals in captivity, they would be gone. The latter is also the food of eagles, coyotes, and owls.

Well, that’s where the drones come in.

The prairie dogs, meanwhile, will keep their eyes on the sky. Then, they made a decision to spray into the burrows with a special insecticide, but that also proved to be ineffective against the fleas as it can not be regarded as a long-term solution.

So the aim is to get the prairie dogs to eat the M&M’s coated with peanut butter blended with vaccine. To save ferrets, wildlife managers must save the prairie dogs.

To save endangered ferrets, drones will spray vaccine-laden sweets at prairie dogs. Prairie dogs, which make up more than 90 percent of the ferrets’ diet and are thought to be the main source of infection for the ferrets, are the intended target of the treats.

Wildlife officials are working on a creative plan to help give endangered black-footed ferrets a much-needed boost. Almost 300 are said to remain in a handful of sites across North America.

But the use of UAS isn’t the final word though, as the plan still needs to be approved by the FWS – but Machett is hopeful that they will be able to start dropping the vaccine on 1 September.

The initial trial would be conducted in Montana, and if it’s successful, this kind of vaccine distribution could also be applied to ferret populations in Colorado and Arizona. “It is the fastest, cheapest way to distribute the vaccine”, Machett says.

Machett told The Guardian that a “glorified gumball machine” could be attached to a drone, which would use Global Positioning System to shoot out vaccines at 30-ft intervals, potentially treating 200 acres in an hour.