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Community Corner

Meet the Zoo: Prairie Dogs

Our weekly look at the animals in Prospect Park Zoo

Legendary American explorers Lewis and Clark were amazed at the populations of animals they encountered on the Great Plains:  herds of bison, elk, beautiful birds, and prairie dog towns that, unbeknownst to them, probably spanned thousands of miles underground.  

The explorers were fascinated with these “barking squirrels” and Meriwether Lewis even dug ten feet into a prairie dog hole and did not reach the bottom.  They were so fascinated by these charismatic little creatures, the explorers captured a live prairie dog and sent it to President Thomas Jefferson in 1805.  

Visitors to the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Prospect Park Zoo do not have to mount an expedition to see these cute animals, nor do they have to dig to explore a prairie dog hole.  The zoo’s Discovery Trail is home to a population of 11 black tailed prairie dogs that have created their own little town. Zoo-goers can get up-close by climbing through tunnels in the exhibit and popping up into viewing domes. For the most part, the prairie dogs are oblivious to visitors’ heads popping up in their home and will calmly continue nibbling carrots and kale.  

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As in nature, the zoo’s prairie dogs can be targets for a red tailed hawk flying overhead.  These local raptors are wonderful sights for park visitors and play a critical role in rodent control.  Unfortunately, the birds do not make the distinction between rodents – rats, mice, and prairie dogs are all fair game to them. Keepers at the zoo have a sure-fire strategy that keeps the prairie dogs safe while deterring the hawks from swooping down.  A few strings of fishing line subtly cover the exhibit, providing a visual barrier for the hawks and a protective barrier for the prairie dogs.

Prairie dogs are native to the American Great Plains and are not considered endangered like the bison that share their range. North America’s largest mammal and its ecosystem are once again in trouble. As it did a more than a century ago, the Wildlife Conservation Society is again working to secure an ecological future for the bison. WCS conservationists work with a number of partners to coordinate bison management and research scientific resolutions to obstacles facing bison restoration.

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So when you visit the Prospect Park Zoo prairie dogs, think about how these tiny animals are a part of the history of North American exploration and how the Wildlife Conservation Society is working to save their natural habitat and ecosystem.

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