Good news bad news for Arizona's extinct prairie dogs: do the math!

We only need to look at Arizona, a state where black-tailed prairie dogs have not been seen for over 50 years--until a reinstatement program was launched last year—to know that extinction is a very real possibility for prairie dogs. They disappeared completely in the state as a result of 150 years of being poisoned and shot by land owners; habitat destruction, and cropland conversion.

Last year 74 prairie dogs were introduced onto a new home after being trapped, inspected, and treated for disease carrying fleas. This year, in the first of six planned relocations, 27 prairie dogs were introduced September 21, 2009 to new homes in Las Cienegas National Conservation Area, not far from Tucson. The black-tailed prairie dogs were released by the Arizona Game and Fish Department, in an on going program that aims to prevent the species from getting an “endangered” status under the Endangered Species Act.

The stability of the five remaining species of prairie dogs across their 11 state ranges has been controversial for decades. Black-tailed prairie dogs were briefly protected as a “threatened” but precluded species under the Endangered Species Act, until Secretary of Interior Gale Norton, under the Bush administration, had the species delisted in 2004; citing questionable and non-peer reviewed “new data”.

Prairie dogs have been decimated down to 2% of their original population by poisoning, shooting, disease, habitat loss, and development. Several species are considered functionally extinct, due to habitat fragmentation and lack of genetic diversity. The black-tailed prairie dog is currently being considered for “threatened” protection under the Endangered Species Act.

Prairie dogs are considered to be a key stone species upon which dozens of other animals, birds, and reptiles depend for food and shelter. Their numbers once ranged in the billions across America’s Great Plains, living along side bison, buffalo, and elk. In the mid 1800’s, prairie dogs were designated as pests by the Department of Agriculture. Based on that designation, millions of prairie dogs have been killed to make way for crop land conversion and development.

The plight of the prairie dog was brought back into public debate recently, when the picture of a Richardson’s ground squirrel made famous by a couple vacationing in Canada became a number one hit on YouTube. It provided the opportunity to educate the public, on the status of the cute little Richardson’s ground squirrel and its prairie dog cousins. Cute or not, both species have been heavily decimated, due to their inconvenience to humans.

In July, 2009, Arizona Fish and Game checked in on the original 74 prairie dogs that had been released last year. Biologists’ pre-release projections targeted a 10 to 20 percent survival rate for the originally released animals. The Surveys conducted in June caused excitement, because it showed the colony was at a 19 percent survival rate and at least two litters were apparent.

A 10-20 percent survival rate is dismal. It would indicate there was insufficient preparation for the survival of a highly social and communal species.

A skilled prairie dog relocator team is imperativefor a successful translocation. They provide the necessary service, and guidance for preparation of receiving sites, long term planning, and increasing post-translocation survival rates. Prairie dogs are a social species, with prey animal instincts, and they can’t simply be dumped onto new ground, even with the temporary protection of “survival cages”--and expected to survive.

If suitable preparations aren’t done, the translocation itself can result in nothing more than another form of extermination.

A 19% survival rate means that 13 out of the original 74 actually survived the trauma of translocation and sub-sequent predation. If they had two litters, at an average of 3-5 pups born, on the high side of the scale that would add 10 prairie dogs to the population. Studies have shown that fewer than half new born pups survive the first year.

According to those numbers, if the Arizona Fish and Game were to repeat the same process every year for a dozen years, they still wouldn’t be able to reestablish enough healthy, genetically diverse, viable black-tailed prairie dog colonies to the remove them from endangered species consideration.

It’s good news that Arizona is taking active and positive steps toward the reintroduction of black-tailed prairie dogs back onto state land. However, it’s bad news that they are doing it under the guise of preventing prairie dogs from being considered for ESA protection.

As an endangered species, prairie dogs would be protected from government sanctioned poison programs, federal agency mismanagement, special interest sanctioned shooting rallies, and it would prevent bulldozers from simply paving over prairie dog towns to bury them alive.

President Obama has promised that wildlife decisions under his administration, will be based on science, not politics. Let's hope so.

Professional and experienced prairie dog relocator with over 30 years experience--Lynda Watson, 806-799-5806

***For photo credit run cursor over photograph * Copyright DelilahStarling 2009 *