Rosmarino is with the Boulder-based Rocky Mountain Animal Defense, one of three groups suing the federal Bureau of Prisons. D.C. The groups contend the Federal Correctional Institution violated the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act when it killed thousands of prairie dogs in fields around the prison in September. Rosmarino said even federal agencies are required to consider the impact on wildlife and other species before taking such steps. Prison officials could not be reached Wednesday for comment on the lawsuit. A written statement issued by the prison in October said the rodents were killed because of health concerns.
Prairie dogs can spread the plague and other diseases.
The prairie dog is prey for the endangered black-footed ferret and other animals, including several raptors. The rodent is considered a pest by ranchers and others because their burrowing leaves holes in fields. But the prairie dog has become a cause for animal-rights activists, who say it has been eliminated from most of its historic range. Rosmarino said as many as 20,000 prairie dogs might have been killed on the prison grounds, but it is unclear because no good count was taken. She said motorists and area residents who noticed all the dead prairie dogs tipped off her group and others.