Save the Prairie Dogs of Lawton, OK

The Lawton, Oklahoma City Council is at it again. They are trying to rid a city park of one of our most beloved creatures, the prairie dog. For generations parents have been taking their children to Elmer Thomas Park to watch the prairie dogs romp and play. Children are fascinated by these furry little creatures and watch them intently as they bob in and out of their holes.

The city tried to poison the prairie dogs back in March, saying that their increasing population was posing safety issues because of their holes. In the dark of the night, without notifying citizens, city employees went to the park and dropped poison into the prairie dogs' holes. They were supposed to die underground, but unfortunately for many children who visited the park soon after, there were dead prairie dogs lying around the park.

Angry residents soon converged on the park in protest and began an online petition to save the Lawton prairie dogs. They were none too thrilled about the poison now lurking in the park either. Enter the Oklahoma Agriculture, Food and Forestry Department who were also not thrilled about the poison. City officials apparently committed some serious violations against the environment. The city was fined $2,350.

Our illustrious city leaders, overlooking the recent rash of gang violence and killings going on in our city, are now back to handling the really important stuff, like passing into law an ordinance declaring that no one is to feed the prairie dogs. This is their latest attempt to control the population of the little rodent that has endeared itself to Lawtonians for decades.

Prairie dogs are social little animals that endear themselves to everyone watching them by grooming each other and giving each other what look like hugs and kisses. That is not their most important task, however.

Prairie dogs are really a furry-bodied group of ecological conservationists. They aerate the soil through the digging of their burrows and enrich it as well with their own personal fertilizer to the soil. Prairie dogs also serve as prey for predatory creatures such as hawks, eagles, and falcons. The disappearance of the prairie dog would adversely affect their predators.

The importance of the burrow doesn't stop with the prairie dog, either. Many other animals may use abandoned burrows as refuges and places to rear their offspring.

Nor do prairie dogs breed at the astronomical rate that many sources would have you believe. They reproduce only once per year and usually have litters of only three or four pups.

Prairie dogs are a vital part of the prairie ecosystem. They are considered a "keystone species" to the Great Plains. Without their presence a multitude of other wildlife would not be able to survive and their extinction would lead to other extinctions in a vicious cycle.

To find out more about saving the prairie dogs, visit Save The Prairie Dogs or The Prairie Dog Coalition.