The Black-footed Ferret

The black-footed ferret (also known as the masked bandit of the prairie; scientific name mustela nigripes) is a subspecies of ferret that inhabits the grasslands of the Northern Great Plains. It can grow between 18 and 24 inches long, and it can weigh between 1.5 and 2.5 pounds. Its main source of food is prairie dogs.

The black-footed ferret is classified as an Endangered species. It is this close to becoming extinct for two reasons. The first reason is that much of its habitat has been lost. Because of this, one of the World Wildlife Fund's (WWF's) efforts to save it consists of maintaining the still existing areas in its habitat, as well as establishing new areas in its habitat. The second reason is that much of its population, as well as the prairie dog population, was once devastated by sylvatic plague. Because of this, another one of the WWF's efforts to save it consists of participating in research on a sylvatic plague oral vaccine for prairie dogs. All of this is being done because its recovery also signifies the health of its habitat.

Source for picture and all information: https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/black-footed-ferret