Forty years ago, a dog named Shep encountered a black-footed ferret in his yard at the Hoggs’ place, on the banks of the Greybull River outside Meeteetse.

Thanks to that encounter and John and Lucille Hogg’s curiosity, the last remaining population of black-footed ferrets — which were thought to be extinct — was found. Biologists descended on Meeteetse and began monitoring the ferrets.

The rediscovery and reintroduction story achieved another breakthrough on Dec. 10, 2020, when “Elizabeth Ann” became not only the first cloned black-footed ferret but the first cloned U.S. endangered species. The work is expected to bring genetic diversity to the ferret population, better equipping them to deal with things like sylvatic plague.

 To celebrate the milestone, the Meeteetse Museums, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and Draper Natural History Museum at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West are working together to provide a one-of-a-kind event.

“We’re focusing on looking toward the future and an appreciation of all the steps that have brought us this far,” the Center of the West said in a statement.

At 8:30 a.m. Friday, the public is invited to hear from the individuals at the forefront of the cloning efforts: Ryan Phelan of Revive and Restore; Oliver Ryder of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance; Shawn Walker of ViaGen; Angi Bruce of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department; and Robyn Bortner of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Meeteetse’s own Dr. Lenox Baker — who owns the Pitchfork Ranch, where ferrets have since been reintroduced — will act as moderator.

The Draper Natural History Museum will be hosting the virtual event, “Black-Footed Ferrets: 40th Anniversary of Rediscovery and Looking to the Future,” via a livestream on Zoom. To register, visit tinyurl.com/rusnwz7v. Local residents also have the option of attending an in-person watch party at the Meeteetse Library, where there will be a drawing for a ferret mug and shirt.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear from the people working to save the black-footed ferrets,” the museum said in a release. For those who can’t tune in live, a recording of the panel discussion will be placed online after the event.