Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute helps diversify the zoo gene pool and breed endangered species

FRONT ROYAL, VA - JUL24: A list of black-footed ferrets and their due dates and litters, at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, July 24, 2014. The black-footed ferret is one of the most endangered animals in the world. Once inhabiting the grasslands of the western Great Plains, the black-footed ferret declined with the loss of the North American prairie ecosystem. The black-footed ferret breeding program depends on computerized matchmaking, ensuring that the most genetically appropriate individuals are mated together. This genetic management occurs through a Species Survival Plan, a group of zoos and conservation organizations working together to save the species. From those original 18 animals, approximately 250 ferrets reside in breeding facilities and about 800 animals are now in the wild. (Photo by Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)