Rare to Idaho, a ringtail was recently found in Twin Falls

January 21, 2022 - There have only been five confirmed sighting of ringtails in Idaho.

Finding a ringtail in Idaho is a very rare occurrence, and the last few sightings have happened near Twin Falls. In early December 2021 staff from the Amalgamated Sugar factory south of Twin Falls spotted a ringtail on the property. Within a few days a wildlife biologist from the Magic Valley Regional set traps with a goal of relocation to more suitable habitat.

Within a week of setting traps the ringtail was live-trapped and taken to the Fish and Game regional office in Jerome where some key biological data was collected and the ringtail was given some bling, meaning a metal ear tag. Within a few hours it was released south of Twin Falls into more suitable ringtail habitat. https://mhn.tracker.rustcom.net/front#w48857

The ringtail (Bassariscus astutus) is a mammal of the racoon family native to arid regions of North America. It is widely distributed and well adapted to disturbed areas. It has been legally trapped for its fur. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. It is also known as the ringtail cat, ring-tailed cat, miner's cat or bassarisk - Wikipedia