Prairie dogs are considered shy animals. Though they’re curious, they will disappear into their burrow if a human or a threatening animal comes too close.
An exception is males become aggressive when defending their territory and females are aggressive when defending their young. But this sort of aggression is common with many species of animals.
Prairie dogs that live in a zoo are likely to be bolder than ones living in the wild. Animals in a zoo become accustomed to zoo keepers feeding them, cleaning their exhibit, and moving around in their habitat. So, the animals are less frightened knowing they are safe and taken care of.