Mar 30, 2006 11:59 pm US/Mountain
Fort Collins Getting Rid Of Prairie Dog Problem
by Mike Hooker
FORT COLLINS, Colo. (CBS4) ―
The city of Fort Collins hopes to stop an erosion problem by killing prairie dogs and even people who love the animals don't see any other solution.
On the 50 acres of open space at the Pineridge Natural Area, there are nearly a thousand prairie dogs and hardly a blade of grass to keep the dirt from blowing away in the wind.
"As soon as something green pops up, the prairie dogs nip it off," said the Director of Natural Resources.
He said the prairie dog population at the site is about 7 times what it should be because there hasn't been the usual bout of plague to control the population.
"You think 'oh we'll just get rid of these guys, but there's a chain effect," said Laura Sebastian, a resident who has been helping the city try to relocate the animals instead of killing them.
"We haven't been able to find any land where people will take these animals," Sebastian said.
The city has planned to reluctantly kill more than half of the prairie dogs, which amounts to about 400, by fumigating their burrows with potassium phosphate in the next several weeks.
"It's really hard for us to make this decision," said the director. "We don't like to kill prairie dogs."
Sebastian said concerned residents are partnering with the city to look for humane ways to manage prairie dogs in the future.
"I'm heartbroken, oh, absolutely," Sebastian said.
The residents are putting together a pilot program with volunteer veterinarians to trap female prairie dogs to spay and release them.
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