For example, we know that prairie dogs have a significant and visible footprint on the prairie. Prairie dogs eat a lot of grass, which can alter the types of grass that are on the grasslands. They also serve as prey for many predators.

Another keystone species, bison, are the architects of the prairies. They break up the turf with their hooves and create wallows during their dust baths, which create depressions and fill up with water when it rains. They are big animals who have a big impact on the landscape.

Read more:  Prairie

Animals can certainly feel the cold, and many species have developed unique ways of dealing with it

While the weather outside may indeed get frightful this winter, a parka, knit hat, wool socks, insulated boots and maybe a roaring fire make things bearable for people who live in cold climates. But what about all the wildlife out there? Won’t they be freezing?

Anyone who’s walked their dog when temperatures are frigid knows that canines will shiver and favor a cold paw – which partly explains the boom in the pet clothing industry. But chipmunks and cardinals don’t get fashionable coats or booties.

In fact, wildlife can succumb to frostbite and hypothermia, just like people and pets. In the northern United States, the unfurred tails of opossums are a common casualty of cold exposure. Every so often an unusual cold snap in Florida results in iguanas falling from trees and manatees dying from cold stress.

Read more:  COLD

This is a very nice video about who visits a prairie dog burrow!  Check it out!  Time Lapse

Hi All,

For those of you who were not already coerced into commenting on early drafts  – we made a fun time lapse video from still photos collected by one of our Reconyx cameras on a prairie dog colony north of Fort Collins this fall.  It just got posted this morning to CPW’s Facebook and YouTube pages.

Thanks to all those who have helped with the video or elsewhere on the project!  Feel free to share or make use of the video if you have the need.

– Reesa

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpJYrZ2MMJk

https://www.facebook.com/104599519602883/posts/2149977435065071/

—

Reesa Yale Conrey

Avian Researcher

Colorado Parks and Wildlife

317 West Prospect Rd.

Fort Collins, CO 80526

Phone: 970-472-4384

Email: reesa.conrey@state.co.us

Click on the link to see the animal issues being promoted this year:  Animal Initiatives

Jan 15, 2019 — 

Read more:  Update

Greetings and best wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

Well it is that time again. The Annual Meeting will be held on 3 February 2019 at:
YMCA of Central New Mexico
12500 Comanche Rd. NE

In recent years, wildlife killing contests have taken root in Minnesota, as well as almost every other state in the country. The name is straightforward: they are competitions for killing the most — or largest, or smallest — of a certain species of wildlife within a designated time period. The most common victims are coyotes, but mountain lions, wolves, raccoons, foxes, crows, rabbits, bobcats and prairie dogs are all targeted as well. Three of these horrific contests are soon to take place in our backyard.

Contestants, who sometimes are children, typically pay a registration fee to the sponsoring organization, which might be a sportsman’s club, a local restaurant or bar, a veterans organization or even a chamber of commerce.

Read More:  Killing Contests

Favorite Places:  For 14-year-old Gerald, it’s actually Isle Royale here in Michigan. For 16-year-old Jamison, it’s Katmai National Park in Alaska. Mom says hers is more of a favorite memory, which was seeing all the prairie dogs at a prairie dog town in Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North and South Dakota.

LAWTON (KFDX/KJTL) – The Prairie Dog Park in Wichita Falls is well known, but north of the Red River, there’s one in Elmer Thomas Park, but new developments have revealed the city of Lawton will have to pay a state fine due to prairie dog mismanagement.

Those violations include the city’s use of pesticides, storage, licensing and record keeping.

The city contested some of the allegations.

Read more:  Lawton

…Winter is Here…..

DENVER — A neighborhood was convinced Denver Water was working with them to protect a colony of prairie dogs, but the utility company decided to hire an exterminator instead.

The small rodents are living on a lot owned by Denver Water near Quebec Way and Florida Avenue. Some residents complained that the animals were digging holes and getting too close to children.

Read more:  Denver

The annual meeting of Prairie Dog Pals will occur on 3 February 2019.  The “usual place” is not available and we are looking at a couple of different venues.  Regardless, the General Meeting will be held from 200-400 PM at a location to be determined, in Albuquerque, I’ll keep you informed of developments.

YAVAPAI COUNTY, Ariz. — The Yavapai County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously yesterday in favor of a proclamation that opposes wildlife killing contests. Arizona citizens belonging to a coalition known as I AM WOLF NATION in partnership with Project Coyote and other wildlife and animal protection organizations have been working to end wildlife killing contests in Yavapai County and other Arizona localities. Yavapai County’s proclamation follows on the heels of a similar Dewey-Humboldt Town Council resolution that passed in November.

Read more:  Yavapai

Longmont City Council on Tuesday night will consider for the first time an ordinance that would require property owners to get prairie dog management permits before killing the animals on their properties.

The measure would impose new restrictions and conditions on controlling prairie dogs on both privately and publicly owned properties.

It would revise the city’s current prairie dog regulations that now generally only affect properties that have applied for formal city approval of the owners’ development or redevelopment project proposals.

Read More:  Longmont

Prairie Protection Colorado (PPC) has been working with Stonegate residents to save approximately 30 surviving black-tailed prairie dogs from a recent fumitoxin poisoning in their neighborhood. The Stonegate Village Metropolitan District had every intention to poison these survivors and “finish off” this colony until residents got involved and began to fight for their relocation rather than their annihilation. A new home for these survivors has been found in Sedalia Colorado and the owners of this land would love to welcome these prairie dogs to a healthy and beautiful colony currently existing at this location. 

Read more:  Petition

Don’t forget to include Prairie Dog Pals when shopping via Amazon Smile!

The garage sale will be conducted 5219 Vista Bonita NE on Saturday between 800 AM and 300 PM!  Hope to see you there.  There will be AWESOME STUFF…

The final Prairie Dog Pals phantasmagorical garage sale of 2018 (Halloween is coming) will be held on Saturday, 27 October 2018, at 5219 Vista Bonita NE, between the hours of 800 AM and 300 PM. Donate, shop, or just drop by to chat! All are welcome!

If you want to donate you can drop off your treasures at 5219 Vista Bonita NE from Wednesday, 24 October, onwards. Please contact Tania or Ray at 505 237 0347 so that they can have the forklift ready to help you unload. (just kidding) Please provide an inventory (with values) if you want a tax receipt. Also it would be extremely helpful if you could price your items. I mean only you can assess the true value of your treasures, right?

If you want to help with the sale, let Ray know.

Your shopping makes a difference. Do your regular Amazon shopping at smile.amazon.com/ch/85-0392843 and Amazon donates to Prairie Dog Pals of Albuquerque.

Read More:  Cody

What’s so great about prairie dogs anyway?

Lindsey Sterling Krank with the Humane Society of the United States’ Prairie Dog Coalition presented on the prairie dog populations and conservation efforts underway to protect these rapidly declining and often misunderstood animals. Krank highlighted three main points in favor of preserving prairie dog populations: they are a keystone species, they have a complex communication system, and 95 percent of their population has been eliminated already.

Krank explained prairie dogs are a keystone species because 200 other species are associated with them and their habitats and nine other species directly rely on them. Prairie dogs contribute to their ecosystem by providing a prey species to certain predators like hawks. Krank cited the example of Ferruginous Hawks, whose numbers are in decline because of habitat loss, prey loss and because of secondary poisoning through prairie dogs being poisoned. In addition to being prey, other species utilize their burrows, like Black-Footed Ferrets, Burrowing Owls and the Mountain Plover. Krank also stated prairie dogs provide more floral abundance and don’t actually destroy the grasslands around them, but keep the grass shorter to monitor for predators near their burrows. “The more heterogeneity, the more biodiversity,” Krank added.

Krank presented research by Dr. Don Slobadchikoff, who studied the prairie dogs language, which has been decoded more than the communication of whales, chimpanzees and dolphins. The prairie dogs have alarm calls that vary based on species, with Krank playing their distinct alarms for coyotes, dogs and humans, noting they never confuse dogs and coyotes, even when the two are similar in appearance.  Prairie dogs also have a sentence structure that includes nouns, adjectives and verbs, confirmed in a study where the same woman approached a prairie dog colony in differently colored shirts and the alarms varied when describing the color of the shirt. Slobadchikoff’s research also found prairie dogs have different dialects by region and local districts.

There are five species of prairie dogs and all have lost a combined 95 percent of their population through habitat loss, poisoning, recreational shooting and sylvatic plague. Krank noted “the perception that prairie dogs are everywhere because you see them in medians” and in other small spaces where they don’t belong isn’t accurate, because finding them in those locations means urban sprawl and agricultural expansion has chased them out of the spaces they would normally live. Krank also noted a lot of the acceptance for poisoning the animals comes from research done by C.H. Merriam which gained popularity during the New Deal Era when he concluded it takes 318 prairie dogs to eat as much grass as one cow, which was inaccurate because the prairie dogs don’t destroy the grass, just trim it and this justified moving cattle into the prairie dogs existing habitats.

Sylvatic plague is not a disease native to prairie dogs, but is given to them by bacteria carried in fleas. Prairie dogs actually are not carriers and don’t have an immunity to the plague, they die from it, unlike unaffected carriers like coyotes and 77 other species. In humans, the plague can be treated with a 10-day course of antibiotics and it’s largely no longer a significant health threat. To combat the plague, conservationists are using mild pesticides to kill the fleas and are immunizing prairie dogs and black footed ferrets with a vaccine distributed with oral bait.

To change the public perception of prairie dogs, conservationists are framing the discussion from a cost-benefit angle. Poisoning prairie dogs is actually an economic loss, Krank explained and because they are a prey species, having colonies near where people live keeps dogs and cats safer. There is also more forage for other animals on prairie dog colony areas than off.

Prairie dog recovery relies on identifying key conservation areas, working with willing partners and completing wild to wild relocation or translocation efforts or building up passive relocation, like establishing natural barriers to encourage them to move out of dangerous areas. When completing relocations, coteries (family units) have to be kept together. Advocates are also looking at incentivized and voluntary landowner conservation efforts. The last attempt at landowner incentives fell through when plague killed the population in question before anything was finalized. There are several ways concerned individuals can help prairie dogs by donating to the Prairie Dog Coalition or “adopting” prairie dogs. More information can be found at http://www.humanesociety.org/about/departments/prairie_dog_coalition/index.html.

What we do for wildlife:

1. We gather scientifically valid, research grade data on our local animals to help validate and document their existence. We focus on the larger animals; black bears, mule deer, mountain lions, elk, pronghorn, and bobcats, but we gather information and document the little guys too, as well as birds, insects, and reptiles.

2. We help people live with, rather than kill, their wild neighbors. We give talks, write articles, respond to emailed questions, host a website, and train volunteers in wildlife track and sign identification.

How you can help us, and our wild relatives:

1. Renew your membership/make a donation! It really does help us!

2. Send us your animal stories/sightings, this really helps them! You can send to me at 4winged@gmail.com or directly to: iNaturalist.org · Pathways

3. Drive slowly in Placitas! and watch out for your wild neighbors.

Thank You! from all of us at Pathways: Wildlife Corridors of NM

WICHITA FALLS, Tx (RNN Texoma) –

Hundreds of people are upset with a new project at Kiwanis Park.

Jim Dockery, the Wichita Falls Deputy City Manager, said what once started with two prairie dogs 40 years ago has now turned into a big health concern after they escaped their containment area.  Read more:  Texas

Prairie dog protection activists want the Longmont City Council to impose new restrictions on private property owners’ current ability to exterminate prairie dogs.

Prairie dogs hang out munching some grass in Boulder County.  Read more:  Longmont

The 2018 season begins. On 9 March, Debbie, Jim and C Rex were out at Indian School trapping. The weather was pleasant if not a bit cool. We set out the traps and waited. Debbie believes that the PDs are a bit skittish and I would have to agree as the PD in the trap was the only one C Rex saw. We are clearing this site in advance of construction. In 2017 we removed 125 but there were a few hold outs that we are trying to get! Woo Hoo it begins again!

Debbie shows how it’s done!

Available for a limited time only (well maybe longer if we sell them all). Thanks to Jim T we have acquired a number of black, XL, T shirts that we are selling for $20 each. They are excellent quality, 100% cotton and look really sharp. What better way to start the spring than with a new PD t shirt that supports PDP’s efforts! We now have a square account so can take credit cards, or you could do Network for Good or Paypal, but you must let me know that it was for a T shirt. Shipping is $5, so the total would be $25. The t shirts would be shipped via USPS! Woo Hoo. You can email C Rex at prairiedogpals@prairiedogpals.org

Note:  The following is a fund raiser to publish a book through the Jane Goodall Institute/Roots and Shoots.  You can check it out by following the link to the page.

My name is Alan Bartels. During breakfast with my friend, Jane Goodall, it was suggested that I write a children’s book about prairie dogs and the many animals which rely on prairie dogs for food, and use their burrows for shelter. The book is now written and illustrated. The illustrator and I are donating the proceeds of this book to Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots program. And, Jane wrote the foreword to the book. We need $12,000 for printing, for marketing, website development and creation of promotional materials and nationwide distribution.

Prairie dogs inhabit less than 1% of their former range. What is left is highly fragmented. This book makes enemies of nobody, and teaches that anyone can make a difference – even a young child. I hope you’ll make a difference by contributing today. Thank you.

Link:  What’s Going Down in Prairie Dog Town

The annual meeting was conducted on 28 January 2018; you can click on the link below to read the minutes of the meeting.

2018 GM minutes Final

Look, I’m sorry, I know a lot of you celebrate presidents day (go buy a mattress, jos a banks suit, or battery), but it is actually precedence day. I mean who were the original sculptors of the west…really!

Amazon Shoppers: There has been considerable discussion about how to use amazon smile to benefit Prairie Dog Pals. If you use this link when you shop Amazon a portion of your purchase will benefit Prairie Dog Pals. The link is basically amazon smile + our tax number: http://smile.amazon.com/ch/85-0392843

AMARILLO – In December, we introduced you to Peanut the prairie dog.

He is one of the lovable and well-known rescues at Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Peanut is now officially off-the-market.

The same wit and charm that made him a favorite on social media has snagged him a companion.

When we first met Peanut, it was all about Cheerios and his new bachelor pad, but a lot has changed in two months.

Now it’s all about snuggles with his new boo.

Read more:  PDs in love….

If you missed Kim Fundingsland’s amusing pondering “No groundhog for Minot” Friday, pick the issue back up or check it out online. Kim – awarded in 2017 by the North Dakota Newspaper Association for a humor column – takes on Punxsutawney Phil and Groundhog Day and suggested that we in Minot need our own psychic rodent. The only problem? Our region doesn’t have any! We have prairie dogs, but there is not a Prairie Dog Day and it isn’t the same critter anyway. Well Kim heard from readers who agreed that the community needs to find, support and create a whole new celebration around a local groundhog – or at least that it’s good in theory.

“While it does smack a bit of animal (or even people) cruelty – dragging a sleeping victim out of his quiet, warm, cozy den into the frigid Minot air (without so much as a hot cup of coffee), into the chaotic cacophony of a horde of raucous revelers creating an unconscionable amount of noise not conducive to a gentle awakening – the idea has some merit,” wrote Frances.

“Merit for what good purpose sadly escapes me.”

“However, should you carry on with this Quixotic quest for more Minot magic, we wish you full speed ahead. And if you are the courageous one destined to brave the claws and teeth of a grumpy rodent, underwhelmed at the prospect of immense popularity at the expense of a good winter’s sleep, we advise thick leather gloves – and remind you to make sure your shots are all up to date.”

“Yes! Bring on Magic City Melvin!” argued email writer Deb. “We do indeed have woodchucks in this area, at Long Lake for certain. I have seen them a couple of times there.

“I’d be in the crowd with a cup of hot coffee in hand, ready to welcome this little furry prognosticator! What fun to have our own local weather hero! ND residents certainly know the realities of winter here, but we are also an optimistic population that can look at the hopeful side (no matter how misguided), whether he sees his shadow or not!”

There are worse causes. If anyone has an idea how to get the needed support for our good friends at Roosevelt Park Zoo to adopt an honest-to-goodness groundhog around which we can launch a new holiday, drop Kim a line at kfundingsland@minotdailynews.com.

The exhibit would also feature plants and trees that are found in the Chihuahuan Desert.

Finally, the zoo would create exhibits for wolves, mountain lions, jaguars, thick-billed parrots, prairie dogs, reptiles and several other animals found in the desert.

Read more:  El Paso

First thank you to all who are reading this email and who have written letters to the ABQ City Council asking for their support for the Resolution R-18-5 which opposes coyote killing contests and supports statewide efforts to ban contests.

Read more:  Plan

Sometimes you wish you could read your pet’s mind. Why does your dog hide when the vacuum cleaner comes out but bark like mad at the dishwasher? How come your cat sometimes turns up her nose at her favorite food?

In many instances, we can figure out pets. Standing at the back door or hovering over a food bowl isn’t tough to interpret. But there are plenty of other situations that sometimes leave us baffled. For example, the pet might be sick and would not like to eat. Some pet owners will probably interpret this as the pet being picky about the food provided. But, many would understand such behavior and provide them with the appropriate food (from Dr. Marty Pets supplement store for instance) that can help the pet to overcome the sickness. Some people might also consult veterinarians, trainers, and behaviorists for help. For instance, have you seen your pet, especially your dog barking like a madman when they find the area rug or carpet missing? Yes, they do it oftentimes. You might not realize it, but when you opt for a Carpet Cleaning or wash the item yourself, your furry friend might become a bit upset because that might be his usual spot to roll. Canines can easily get upset and display their anger by barking. However, not many understand this!

But, it is still possible to communicate with your pet, especially a dog if your train them properly and have a special bond where you can interpret their actions to understand what they want to say. You may have to understand the breed of your dog, for instance, if you plan to get a pet that belongs to the calmest of the doodle breeds, you will probably have to train him to react to strangers, or kids, or teach how to ask for food, etc. so that the dog can let you know what he needs.

But soon we may just have to listen and a pet translator will tell us what’s going on.
However, this is also true that we cannot run to the vet every time our pets growl or show some sickness. Of course, it is best that a vet examines our furry friends if they have suddenly stopped eating or are displaying any uncommon behaviors, but keeping ourselves aware of some of the problems and their solutions is what’s needed. It is us whom our furry friends look up to for any solution, and we certainly cannot betray them.

While most of the time their change in behavior is due to a change in the environment or the weather, but can sometimes also be due to a contaminated food product. This is why it is immensely important to look at the pet food warnings and determine what not to feed our cute canine, as preventing a problem from happening is way better than finding a solution afterward.

If we keep ourselves informed and know the right action to take as soon as something happens, we may possibly avoid the risk of losing our four-legged companion.

Con Slobodchikoff, a professor emeritus of biology at Northern Arizona University and the author of “Chasing Doctor Dolittle: Learning the Language of Animals,” is a pioneer in animal communication.

Read more: Talking

For Shame!

Boulder County Parks and Open Space conducted “live trappings” of prairie dogs at seven properties in 2017 — six of them on areas designated “no prairie dog” zones — but the majority of the trapped rodents were destined for raptor and black-footed ferret programs.

Read more: Boulder

Say, did you hear that Prairie Dog Pals is having an annual meeting?

Yes!  It is at the James Joseph Dwyer Police Memorial Substation on 28 January 2018 from 1:00 to 3:00 PM!  Are you going?

You Betcha!

For Immediate Release December 28, 2017
Media Contacts:
• Elisabeth Dicharry, Wildlife Conservation Advocacy Southwest,
wcasouthwest@gmail.com, 505-­269-­6534
• Brenda McKenna, Albuquerque Board Member for Wildlife Conservation Advocacy SW
505-­263-­7553
• Guy Dicharry, Attorney at Law, Wildlife Conservation Advocacy SW, 505-­269-­3757
Press Release
A firearms business in Albuquerque plans to hold a coyote-­killing contest on December
30 and 31. The killing contest is advertised as the “Second Annual Butch’s Guns Coyote
Calling Challenge”.
In a statement setting out the position of the City of Albuquerque Mayor’s Office, Interim
Director of Communications Alicia Manzano wrote, “Mayor Keller has always opposed
coyote hunting competitions. To that end, the City of Albuquerque will strictly enforce any
violation of ordinances pertaining to these competitions.”
Coyote killing contestants race to kill coyotes for prizes and money. Two-­person teams in
trucks and ATVs usually use high-­powered firearms capable of firing long distances to
maim and kill coyotes after luring them in with electronic calling devices. Contest rules
state that one child under the age of 14 may accompany a team. Contestants have no
other age restrictions.
Though the contest is sponsored and organized by an Albuquerque business, the teams
will probably be using public and unincorporated lands to kill coyotes in Bernalillo County
and other counties within about a 50-­75+ mile radius of Albuquerque. In addition to
coyotes, non-­target wildlife, domestic animals, and the public are at risk. It is a holiday
weekend and many people will be out and about on public lands, particularly in light of our
warm temperatures and dry weather.
These contests are indiscriminate and inhumane. Contestants attempt to bring coyotes to
the ground often by intentionally shooting them in the hindquarters and abdomen. Some
wounded coyotes may escape but die slowly from hemorrhage or septic infection. For
those who do not escape, blocks or PVC pipes recording kill dates and times are forced
between the canine teeth and secured with zip ties or electric tape. Given the large
number of times a coyote can be shot using semi-­automatic weapons to bring it to the
ground, any fur is typically unusable. The carcasses are brought to a specified location,
counted, and then summarily discarded in some unknown, often public, location.
Coyote killing contests do not protect livestock, game animals, or companion
animals. The contests are conducted for private profit by offering prizes, entertainment,
2
camaraderie, target practice (using living wildlife), and to promote businesses that sell
firearms, ammunition, accessories, and electronic callers. These events are not
monitored or regulated. The authority of New Mexico Department of Game and Fish
regulations excludes coyotes. Promoters may hold contests with contestants killing
coyotes without the need for a hunting license, and with no regard to bag limits, seasons,
gender, age, or methods of killing. Contestants are not required to report to Game and
Fish the number of coyotes killed.
At least 30 coyote killing contests happen every year throughout New Mexico with some
of these contests organized by groups and businesses in the middle Rio Grande valley. In
2013, 2015, and 2017, the State Legislature introduced and voted on legislation to ban
coyote-­killing contests. In 2015 and 2017, the Senate voted in favor of the ban.
Killing contests promote wanton unnecessary killing that a majority of voters, including
ethical hunters, find abhorrent. New Mexicans from all corners of the state and all walks
of life—including conservationists, hunters, gun-­owners and many ranchers—
oppose wildlife-­killing contests. Public opposition to killing contests is not based on anti-­
gun or anti-­hunting viewpoints. Killing contests send a violent message that killing is fun,
our native wildlife is disposable, and life is cheap. Killing contests do nothing to help
attract businesses, new residents, or support our valuable tourism industry. Killing
contests are counterproductive to holistic land management practices, science-­based
wildlife management, public health and safety.
We hope the Albuquerque City Council will pass a resolution stating both its opposition to
coyote killing contests and its support for legislation to prohibit coyote killing contests.

From all of us at Prairie Dog Pals to all of you out there in the world, wherever your burrow may be, we wish you a very peaceful and joyous Christmas, and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year! Lest we forget, may the blessing of the Solstice be upon you, and Happy Hannukah, and Kwanzaa, and last but not least Festivus! Rejoice!!! The cycle has begun once again! Yip Yip Yip (ho ho ho in prairiedogese)

Read more:   Guidelines

The following is from a historical document by the CDC; it documents the history of Plague in the United States.

Historically, bubonic plague has been responsible for a number of notable pandemics.  The disease appears to have a strong, long-term,
cyclic tendency. It flares up on a global scale  and then slowly retreats to smoulder in endemic  centers. During the last 15 centuries, four
important pandemics have been recorded: the  pandemic of 542 to 600 A. D., which began  during the reign of the Emperor Justinian and  involved the whole Roman world; the “Black Death” of the 14th century, some of which wascertainly plague, and which caused an estimated loss of 25 million lives, one-fourth of the entire population of Europe alone; the pandemic of the 15th, 16tli, and 17th centuries, which culminated in the “Great Plague of London,” 1664 to 1665; and the present pandemic, which began in 1894 and is now receding. Between pandemics, notable epidemics have been recorded in countries all over the world. There is also reason to believe that there are endemic centers in portions of Africa and Asia, which represent the points of origin of all pandemics (1).

Read more: Plague

An opposing viewpoint: (To protecting Utah prairie dogs)

SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) – They’re a member of the squirrel family, but they get their name because of their bark-like call.

It was actually early settlers that gave the prairie dog its name.

There are five different species of prairie dogs, four of which are found in the US and one endangered species found only in Mexico.

Read more:  Zoo

Several months ago Jim T took on a challenge which C Rex thought would end up in euthanasia. We had captured a “perfectly healthy” prairie dog from Phil Chacon Park. After a week in the tank with the other PDs from the area, this one looked HORRIBLE. C Rex checked it again for all the obvious problems but nothing, the prairie dog couldn’t even stand on its own. Jim took it to Doctor Levenson along with Toothy II and to C Rex’s surprise, it was released back into Jim’s care. Jim is a trooper and set about getting the PD rehydrated and fed. After a few days, the PD passed the plastic tip of a syringe PLUS a lot of stored up poop. The PD has been improving ever since, and here’s a picture from yesterday! This was a true miracle accomplished through Jim’s diligence and commitment.

• Photographer spotted two prairie dogs snuggling up to each other in a zoo
• Adorable photographs show the two animals appearing to kiss
• The moment took place in at the Attica Zoological Park in Spata, Greece

Read More:  Greece

Yvonne B, Jim T, and Cynomys Rex tabled at Refuge Day at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge! It was a stellar day until the wind lifted the canopy off! Fortunately it was near the end of the day. There was a lot of interest in Toothy II, Jim’s foster Gunnison and Prairie Dog Pals’ activities. C Rex also provided a “scholarly” (bawdy) discussion of the mating habits of Gunnison’s prairie dogs titled “Sex about Town” or Sirens and Studs of the Sevilleta! Woo Hoo!

Last month, researchers, wildlife biologists and managers from several federal, state and local agencies gathered at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services’ (USFWS) National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center to celebrate a breakthrough in wildlife management— the development of an oral vaccine bait that helps protect prairie dogs against deadly sylvatic plague and assists in the recovery of endangered black-footed ferrets (BFF). Sylvatic plague, caused by Yersinia pestis, is a bacterial disease transmitted by fleas that afflicts many mammalian species, including humans.

Read more:  Collaborate

Link:  Utah

Tucker loves going from room to room at Jamestowne Retirement Home. Fay Jago says, “They love him. If I don’t bring them in, then I’m in trouble.”

Tucker is a three legged chihuahua who was born without a front leg, and he was going to be euthanized. The home’s executive director Fay Jago saw him on social media and saved his life by adopting him.
Now he’s the community dog at the senior home. She says, “Everyone has issues and problems. Nobody is perfect. So why put him down because he’s not perfect.”

She also bought Raspy. She’s a prairie dog that Fay takes around from room to room visiting with residents. One resident spends all day petting Raspy. Jago says, “Ms. Janie loves her. They’ll sit in my office, and I’ll go in there and they’re both asleep on my couch. So it’s a win win.”

They make the residents feel more comfortable, and the residents calm the pets down. Fay says, “They’re regular residents here.”

Fay says she enjoys seeing the residents with animals so much, she’s considering getting more service animals.

Link to:  Tennessee

Garage Sale Part II: Debbie has offered to host garage SALES to reduce the carry over from the last garage sale. We will conduct sales on 3 consecutive days next week, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, October 5, 6, and 7. The Sale will be held at 917 Morris Street NE from 8-3:30 on each day. This is about 1/2 block north of Morris and Lomas, on the left. We could use: more sales items; and help. If you can provide either, let C Rex know at prairiedogpals@comcast.net. Right now we have a couple of volunteers but more would be better. I’ll even buy timothy hay and NOMO for you to munch on….

The Prairie Dog Pals “fall” Garage sale will be held on the 23th of September from 8:00 to 2:00 at 5219 Vista Bonita NE.  Plan to come and more importantly scour out your collections of fine collectibles and donate the unneeded treasures for the garage sale. If you want items to donate or want to volunteer with the set up or sale please coordinate with R. Watt (237 0347). Please tell your friends to come by and spend money. The money will go towards prairie dog issues. The donations are tax deductible and we will gladly provide you with a certificate stating as much. If you have donations for the sale, plan to bring them by between 6-8 PM on the 22nd of September. If this is not convenient, contact Ray Watt on 237 0347 to arrange a mutually convenient drop of date/time. Finally, after the sale, your unsold items can either be picked up by you at 200 on Saturday, or they will be donated to an animal issues charity/ non profit group.

For a week, metal cages sat atop each prairie dog mound in the open space bordering Highway 52 and 79th Street.

The hope was to capture and relocate 100 black-tailed prairie dogs. Ultimately, 84 critters were apprehended in the sprung traps and then moved to a more spacious location.

Each trap was baited with sweet feed, consisting of oats, grains and sunflower seeds, a mixture prairie dogs love.

Read more:  County

For a long time we have encouraged people NOT to feed the prairie dogs inappropriate foods. They eat forbs and grasses, carrots work, so do grains, but this week I encountered a number of things…so with out further ado…Triscuits! PS prairie dogs don’t eat Cheese as to the triscuits, they have salt on them, bad idea.

You can see what happens, next they will want some wine.

FORT COLLINS, CO – Pudgy and vocal, black tail prairie dogs in matriarchal colonies have co-existed with Coloradoans along the Front Range for decades. But the state’s new construction boom threatens their urban habitats in northern Colorado towns. Groups of “prairie dog advocates” are asking local governments to help relocate colonies instead of gassing them or bulldozing their habitats.

Members of a prairie dog “town” maintained their busy lives on six acres near the corner of Lemay Street and Buckingham Avenue in Fort Collins for more than 20 years. That was until New Belgium Brewery and a student housing developer bought parcels on the site.

Prairie Dog Pals is looking for an entrepreneur who would be willing to market special items donated by our dedicated advocates who have given Prairie Dog Pals items with a value that likely exceeds what could be reasonably obtained at a garage sale. These items could include TVs, appliances, furniture, art pieces, wall hangings, household decor, special books, special jewelry, VHS movies and the odd unique pieces that would require a wider audience in order to be marketed for a better price. I envision a social media/ computer savvy person who could photograph items and then post them with a brief description to Craigslist (Albuquerque only), Ebay (only specific items), Nextdoor Neighbor, and Facebook. This person would be allowed to take the necessary time to promote any items he/she thinks they could market, and with PDP would negotiate a fair percentage for their trouble. This may include allowances for pick-ups from their residence or deliveries – if necessary. PDP would provide a simple form for the documentation of any sales to be in compliance with non-profit financial obligations.

Another prime photo.  We had the privilege of working with Ashley this summer.  She was a woman possessed and no task could thwart her!  A pleasure to work with, highly dependable and very very gentle with the prairie dogs.  She loaded 65 prairie dogs on her second day of work at the Sevilleta in June.  Here, a few months later,  she is holding Gordo.  Gordo had a checkered past.  He was captured from Bosque Farms and was fine robust prairie dog until about 3 days before the release.   On checking his tank C Rex noticed a lesion on his right cheek.  A large lesion.  Gordo had been chewed.  While the wound was not life threatening it did need treatment and Gordo missed 2 releases.  He was held from June until late August.  By then the lax life in the staging facility had taken its toll and gordo put on the ounces and shed a bit of his natural coloring.  At processing he came in at a robust 1740 grams.  Fortunately the wound fully healed, just look at the right side of his face…and he was released in early September.  Ashley not only processed him, but release him the next day.

PDP has had to the privilege of working with the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge staff, interns, and volunteers over the years. EVERYONE is positive, focused, innovative, cooperative, and a pleasure to work with. This picture of Maggie, taken by Jim personifies their commitment and enthusiasm! Woo hoo Maggie!

Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA. dansalkeld@gmail.com.

The endangered black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) is affected by plague, caused by Yersinia pestis, both directly, as a cause of mortality, and indirectly, because of the impacts of plague on its prairie dog (Cynomys spp.) prey base. Recent developments in vaccines and vaccine delivery have raised the possibility of plague control in prairie dog populations, thereby protecting ferret populations. A large-scale experimental investigation across the western US shows that sylvatic plague vaccine delivered in oral baits can increase prairie dog survival. In northern Colorado, an examination of the efficacy of insecticides to control fleas and plague vaccine shows that timing and method of plague control is important, with different implications for long-term and large-scale management of Y. pestis delivery. In both cases, the studies show that ambitious field-work and cross-sectoral collaboration can provide potential solutions to difficult issues of wildlife management, conservation and disease ecology.