Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1900-09-06
PRAIRIE DOGS SLAIN.
Rats Destroy Colony of Them in
a Chicago Park.
Ingenuity of the Rodents In Max
ing Way with the Interesting
Burrowers-Noted Instances
of Destruction.

of Destruction.
Nine rats exterminated the colony
of as prairie dogs which have made
Lincoln park their home for the last
two years; and now the Lincoln park
commissioners are looking for new
consignment OF prairie dogs. When a
man was set to work the other day IN
the prairie dog pit 10 ascertain what
had become OF the colony which disap-
peared In their homes beneath the sod
in the latter part of November, he found
that all that remained of As active lit
tie animals were As clearly picked skel-
etons.
The discovery created sensation
among the animal keepers and excited
a fierce desire for vengeance. One
prairie dog was found half eaten, and
from the appearance of the remains it
was evident the murderers had only
Just left their last victim. THE man
with the hoe" at once set to work to
solve the mystery. The entrance to a
tunnel much larger than those made
by the prairie dogs was discovered, and
huddled together at the end, squeaking
with fright, were nine rats, in the best
physical condition from their eontinu-
Gus meal of the winter months. Their
end was sudden. The remains of the
rats were piled in heap at the end
Of the prairie dog pit, and the skele-
- h,tr rTfns inns nil nM al the
other, mute evidence of the winter
tragedy.
How the rats got in and the man
ner in which they did the work proved
the ingenuity of the rodents. Beside
one end Of the prairie dog pit grows a
thriving lilac bush, and it was by this
means the rats gained entrance to the
pit. The rats climbed up the bush
and jumped over into the pit. just how
the rats divided up the little animals
among them is uncertain, but as the
entire nine seemed to have thriyen
equally well il was evident that there
had been an equal division of the dani-
lens of the pit. This would have given
20 each rat five and one-third prairie
dogs, which represented his rations for
he winter.
The rats which wiped out the Lin
coin park prairie dogs were of the
black and brown variety. Some of
them weighed two or three pounds and
could have put up a stiff fight. The
Lincoln park commissioners have sent |
out west for some new prairie dogs |
and when they come greater precautions
will ae taken to save them from the |
fate Of their predecessors.
Rats have always been the bane Of |
he animal keepers at Lincoln park.
Extraordinary precautions have had
10 be taken TO prevent them from kill
ing off the young ducks and geese and
Jther smaller animals. On the prairie
ats and prairie dogs live together, al
though prominent western authority
IN the habits of rats and prairie dogs
aid; Rats and prairie dogs do live
ogether, but the prairie dogs don't
Ike it,"
On the prairie, however, prairie !
og is usually the equal of the rat if
ot his superior, and a wholesale
laughter such as that at Lincoln park !
ould not occur. 1t is said that rats
ave been known to attack elephants, I
heir system of attack being TO gnaw {
p through the huge feet of the ele- !
hants. 1t is matter of record that /
agenbeck, the famous Snowman, had /
hree young African elephants killed a
y them; and authenticated cases are Q
n record of rats having attacked and
tempted to devour children.
Hundreds Of instances could be re
tied of the destructive propensities
rats. The most noted are the de- 4,
truction of the town OF Hamelin. in ,
'hich the Pied Piper played such a
part, and the instance of the
Bishop Of Bingen. in his mouse tower
n the Rhine"