Mr. KIRK SIEGLER (Reporter, Aspen Public Radio): Nobody has ever had it in for the black-footed ferret.

NPR: Drilling to Begin in Colorado Ferret Habitat

Mr. SIEGLER: Retired U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Bob Leachman led efforts to reintroduce the black-footed ferret to Colorado in 2001.

NPR: Drilling to Begin in Colorado Ferret Habitat

It involves one of North America's most endangered animals, the black-footed ferret.

NPR: Drilling to Begin in Colorado Ferret Habitat

Leachman says the black-footed ferret almost never makes public appearances, and when it does, it's only for seconds at a time in the middle of the night.

NPR: Drilling to Begin in Colorado Ferret Habitat

Mr. SIEGLER: Back at the reintroduction site, Bob Leachman says the black-footed ferret's survival depends on how intense the drilling is, and he believes there's every indication given the current boom, that big trucks, drill rigs and roads will soon dot stop this landscape.

NPR: Drilling to Begin in Colorado Ferret Habitat