Ferreting out a total change of perception

They are an often misunderstood resident of the UK countryside. Chris Berry meets one Yorkshirewoman with a passion for gibs and jills.
Natalie Brown with Sara Lamming.Natalie Brown with Sara Lamming.
Natalie Brown with Sara Lamming.

Smiles will be the order of the day all around this weekend’s Countryside Live event at the Great Yorkshire Showground and probably no more will they be evident than during the ferret races. Children’s eyes will light up and everyone seems to get a kick over watching them.

However earlier this week the harsh reality of what sometimes befalls this increasingly popular mammal was brought into sharp context with the arrival of seven jills – that’s the female name for ferrets – at Prospect Ferret Rescue run by Sara Lamming in Huddersfield.

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“This particular case was outright abuse,” says Sara. “There are seven females and their owner was simply starving them to death because she didn’t want them anymore. It leaves you speechless. They’d had no food or water and were emaciated. The girls we now have here survived through eating the carcasses of those that had already died.

“We had another case where one chap thought he would make his fortune out of breeding and because he couldn’t he was going to drown them. Fortunately a really nice guy took the two mums and we took the two litters of which we just have one ferret left that will be re-homed by the time people read this.”

Sara started Prospect Ferret Rescue in July last year following a career in print that included over 20 years as production manager for the Daily Telegraph. Her fondness for the species came about when she took in a stray.

“I’m from Manchester originally but had worked in London for many years and my husband and I moved back up north about seven years ago. We wanted to come this side of the Pennines as it rains too much over there, so we came to sunny Huddersfield instead (rain was pouring down as we spoke).

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“We bought a house with a disused barn that we intended to renovate. We’d only been there a few weeks when one night our heat searching lamps kept lighting up. The next morning we found this male ferret curled up in an armchair in the barn.

“He was very tame as most ferrets are and was clearly used to being handled so we tried to locate the owner but without success. That’s when we decided not just to keep Sid, as we had named him, but also to find him a friend.

“We visited a ferret rescue run by a lady in Cragg Vale and we chose a ferret we called Louis. Most people who keep ferrets tend to keep them in pairs as they are very sociable and like each other’s company. When the Cragg Vale rescue closed I took another 10 from there.”

Earlier this week when I visited Sara and her assistant Natalie Brown there were 72 ferrets on site.

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“They’re like Pringles,” says Sara. “To have one is never enough, but we are now most definitely a rescue centre and want to see them go to good homes. Sometimes the reason they become strays is because they are great escapologists but many times it is because people think they are wild animals and that there is no problem turning them out when they’ve had enough of them.

“I guess they believe that because they are animals they will survive.

“Since we opened last year we have been successful in finding homes for 79 of them but as you can see we have a lot here.”

A recent survey destroyed several myths about ferrets. First was the image of ferret ownership being a purely male and northern domain, complete with obligatory flat cap. The survey showed that 27 per cent (the largest single proportion) of UK ownership is now in the South East. It also pointed out that 61 per cent of those were female and aged between 35-44.

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Part of the reason behind the change in ownership of ferrets may be that they have captured the headlines as a celebrity accessory in more recent times with reality star Paris Hilton, pop star Madonna and TV show host Jonathan Ross all being owners.

The Yorkshire & Humber area today has a paltry seven per cent of ferret ownership in the UK. Sara believes that might in some part be down to the adverse publicity received when the late Richard Whiteley became a little too attached to one than he had envisaged on screen some years ago.

“Every time he was shown it always seemed to be that one when the ferret latched on to his finger and wouldn’t let go, but that was in a TV studio and they can nip if they are frightened or abused. It gave the impression that ferrets are vicious when they are not. They are great entertainment and as a pet they don’t need a lot of attention. They enjoy being in pairs or groups and so long as they have toys and food they enjoy each others’ company. We have a group of jills that we have named the Skinny Minis.”

So what is Sara’s view on ferret racing?

“They love it. I’m not sure they really know that they are racing but they just love going down tubes.”

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If the display at Countryside Live run by Simon Bishop of Ferret World sparks an interest in taking on a ferret as a pet you should visit www.prospectferretrescue.org

A ferret factfile

Ferrets are often referred to as ‘polecats’ as that is how they started out in mainland Europe – and have similarities to the meerkat.

Lifespan: 7-10 years

Litter: Normally produce anywhere between 8 – 12.

Size: Normally grow to 51 cms with tail and 38 cms without.

Males are called hobs – and then gibs when neutered. Females are called jills – and sprites once spayed.