7 ms·
Felicia, the Pipe-Cleaning Ferret of Fermilab (1971)
- aabajian 12y agoFerrets are awesome. I wish they were legal in California.
- rplnt 12y agoHow/why are they illegal?
- spacefight 12y agohttp://www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/nongame/nuis_exo/ferret/ferret_issues_table6.html http://www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/nongame/nuis_exo/ferret/ferre... EDIT: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/nongame/nuis_exo/ferret/ferret_issues_4.html#Laws http://www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/nongame/nuis_exo/ferret/ferre... "Recent Proposed Legislation Regarding Ferrets For many years, ferret owners and enthusiasts have been lobbying for a change in California law to allow importation and ownership of ferrets for pet purposes. Assembly Bill AB 2497 (Goldsmith) was introduced in 1994; Senate Bill SB 55 (Kopp) was introduced in 1995; AB 363 (Goldsmith) was introduced in 1997; and Assembly Bill AB 854 (Cunneen) was introduced in 1999. all failed passage. " "1. Ferrets may bite or scratch children, as well as adults. 2. Ferrets also carry rabies, and there is no proper vaccine against the rabies which attacks it. 3. Ferrets can also threaten native wildlife. " Source: https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100517033547AAW3R8p https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100517033547A...
- hga 12y agoThere is a rabies vaccine that's USDA approved for ferrets: http://imrab.us.merial.com/imrab/index.shtml http://imrab.us.merial.com/imrab/index.shtml
- masklinn 12y agoMaybe you could get some other mustelid native to california instead? They wouldn't have 2500 years of domestication behind them, but e.g. stoats (short-tailed weasels) are sometimes kept as pets, and are native to california (and much of the northern hemisphere). Likewise the (much closer to ferret-sized) mink, various american mink subspecies are native to california. The marten is an other california-native mustelid, though I don't know if they can be tamed easily. One last option (that I know of) could be the tayra, it's apparently easy to tame and although it's not native to california its range goes up to mid-mexico. Could be more acceptable than invasive europe-originated ferrets.
- aaronem 12y agoSpeaking as a former ferret owner, I would advise very strongly against trying to domesticate a wild mustelid. Given the right circumstances, even pet ferrets can be dangerous, and they have a nasty bite; running foul of a wild one would probably be a bit like falling into a wood chipper, except that a wood chipper won't run up your pant leg.
- tempodox 12y agoWhat, are ferrets not legal in CA? How can an animal be illegal?
- masklinn 12y agoBy being a banned for import non-native species?
- wil421 12y agoNot sure if you are serious or not but there are many illegal animals in the US. Rhinos, Elephants, and Hyenas come to mind for family pets. Here is a link for CA. http://blog.sfgate.com/stew/2012/02/29/pets-you-cant-legally-own-in-california/#3188101=0 http://blog.sfgate.com/stew/2012/02/29/pets-you-cant-legally...
- tempodox 12y agoThe question may have looked stupid, but it was an honest question. Thanks for answering.
- tempodox 12y agoGreat, being down-voted for asking a question. This community is just adorable.
- wiradikusuma 12y agoJust curious, isn't more "sterile" to use robot? I mean, a ferret can poo in the middle, it can leave fur and feet traces inside the tube.
- DanBC 12y agoThis is in the links at the top of the page: http://history.fnal.gov/felicia.html#TheTrib http://history.fnal.gov/felicia.html#TheTrib This is on the linked page: > As part of her contribution Thursday, Felicia went through a 300-foot-pipe dragging a string. When she came out the other end, technicians tied a swab dipped in a chemical cleanser to the string. They pulled the tight-fitting swab through and when it came out it was covered with dust and steelspecks.
- yitchelle 12y agoThanks for the insight. When I read the title, for some reason, I thought the fur on the Ferret was used to do the cleaning.
- sjtrny 12y ago> When she came out the other end, technicians tied a swab dipped in a chemical cleanser to the string. They pulled the tight-fitting swab through and when it came out it was covered with dust and steelspecks. Poo would be unfortunate but look at the title. It's from 1971. People barely had colour TV back then, let alone pipe cleaning robots.
- DanBC 12y agohttp://history.fnal.gov/felicia.html#TheTrib http://history.fnal.gov/felicia.html#TheTrib > This good life may soon end for Felicia. The laboratory scientists have designed and built a mechanical ferret, a device activated by compressed air and controlled by wires. They don't need Felicia anymore. This was always the plan, with Felicia to be used only temporarily, while they built her robot. > Source: The Tribune, December 22, 1971
- 12y ago
- programmer_dude 12y ago>The ferret is an animal filled with curiosity and seeks out holes and burrows. Its instinct is to find out what's at the other end of a burrow, or, for that matter, a tube or a pipe. A true scientist at heart :) The ferret was among its peers.
- tempodox 12y agoThere is quite some build-up of residue in my warp drive's plasma conduits. Is there a ferret lending service somewhere? My EMH Mark 1 is offline.
- zbyszek 12y agoI am suprised that there was only one. I knew someone who kept ferrets (to catch rabbits for her hawk) and was told that, as social animals, being kept in isolation would send them crazy, while all-female groups didn't get along well. Was spaying Felicia not an option in 1971?
- aaronem 12y agoIt's not exactly true that ferrets need other ferrets around to keep from going crazy; frequent, interesting interaction with humans easily suffices to satisfy their need for stimulation. Between the tunnel runs, and the fact that happy ferrets are endearing, friendly little creatures in general, I doubt she lacked for enough to keep her mind active.