A ferret found roaming in a Clovis backyard last week may end up in the city's Hillcrest Park Zoo if any of the six people who have claimed ownership can't prove it by Wednesday, the Clovis News Journal reported.

"In lieu of maybe choosing the wrong person as the owner, I'll put it in the zoo and people can go visit it," Clovis Police Lt. Jim Schoeffel, who heads the animal control division, told the News Journal.

The 1-pound, foot-long female white ferret was found April 21, and none of the six people who came forward last week had any documentation or proof of ownership, Animal Control Officer Martin Martinez told the paper.

That's a good argument, Martinez told the News Journal, for having a veterinarian implant a microchip in a pet identifying the owner.

Schoeffel acknowledged that it's a difficult situation, and he told the News Journal that just because six different people have claimed ownership, it doesn't mean someone's lying.

It's the nature of ferrets to slip away from their owners, Schoeffel said.

Meanwhile, several people have expressed their interest in adopting the ferret, but she can't be made available for adoption if there is a question of ownership, Martinez told the News Journal.

Martinez agreed that the zoo would be the best solution, the paper said.

Under the city code, an unclaimed animal becomes city property after three days, the News Journal said. 

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