The rodents now reside in the Mann property, a city open-space area west of U.S. 36 near the Foothills Trail. The move, mostly complete in October, paves the way for the Goose Creek Drainage Improvements project, which is part of an extensive flood-plain mitigation project along Goose Creek. Bike paths will be added along the creek as part of the Greenways program. Each critter was either trapped or flushed out with high-powered water hoses and captured by Wild Places, the nonprofit prairie dog relocation group in charge of the move. Other trapping methods, such as vacuuming the creatures into a rubber-padded tank, weren't used because of the harm it inflicts on the rodents, she said.
Poisoning is the most-used method.
This is proof relocation can be done successfully. The next test is whether these prairie dogs can live and breed successfully in the new environment. Land owners must look for relocation means before killing colonies. I can't thank them enough for what they've done for prairie dogs. Havlick said the creatures are in a better place than their former residence, where there was little grass for food, nearby traffic and cars parking overhead.