Jun 28, 2005 2:00 pm US/Mountain
Prairie Dog Pickle: Citizens Peeved At Rodents
Celestial Seasonings' Park Has Neighbors Riled
BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4) ―
Celestial Seasonings beverage company again is under fire for its handling of prairie dogs.
Not for poisoning the pesky, perky little creatures, but for protecting them.
Some neighbors now want the prairie dogs gone, noting the colony here has exploded and expanded well beyond the park where they were transplanted.
The situation now has become a case of "not in my backyard" literally.
"Its millions of them, millions!" one distraught resident, Galina Plotkin said. "Its unbelievable!"
When it comes to prairie dogs, Plotkin isn't your typical Boulderite. "And the voices and noise they make -- yuck!"
Plotkin's backyard abuts 20 acres of prairie dog habitat owned by Celestial Seasonings, a company that five years ago poisoned dozens of prairie dogs. Then, when public sentiment turned against them, did an about face and built a park to protect them.
The problem is, residents contend, the dogs are not being contained in the park.
Plotkin's neighbor Tracy French has trapped and relocated the critters. Another neighbor, Shira Feinstein, built a ramp to get one out of her window well. At the Plotkins' place, the rodents have tunneled around and even under their home.
"Look around our yard we worked so hard to make beautiful," Plotkin said. "And now these prairie dogs are ruining everything."
David Ziegert, a spokesman for Celestial Seasonings, said he's disappointed neighbors didn't contact the company with their concerns.
"We've always had good working relationship with our neighbors," he said.
Ziegert said company officials have now contacted the city to see what can be done.
"It's just such a very, very delicate balance that needs to be maintained," he said.
For Plotkin, however, there's only one thing to do. "I would say kill them, yes kill them. Maybe it's not a good word to say, but if we don't kill them, they will kill us."
Plotkin and many of her neighbors are worried in particular about bubonic plague, which prairie dogs can carry. So far, though, none of the dogs in her neighborhood have tested positive for the disease. Neighbors, though, say they don't want to take that chance.
If Celestial Seasonings officials did decide to euthanize the prairie dogs, which Ziegert said is not even being considering at this point, there is a 14-month waiting period in Boulder.
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