Seligman is now home to several black-footed ferrets. Thirteen of the endangered animals were recently released at Aubrey Valley and Double-O Ranch near Seligman. Six other ferrets were set free at Garland Prairie near Parks.
The ferrets were bred in captivity at the Toronto Zoo and Smithsonian National Zoo, then trained at a Colorado conservation center to hunt and survive in the wild.
Officials say the release marks an important step in restoring the species across its historic range. Black-footed ferrets suffered a severe population drop in the 20th century, to the point it was believed they had gone extinct until a few were found in the wild in the 1980s. Now, there are 300 black-footed ferrets in the United States, with 20 in Arizona.