Black-tailed Prairie Dog

Black-tailed prairie dogs (prairie dogs) live in colonies that once covered 10-20 percent of the Great Plains. They once numbered in the hundreds of millions, and provided food, shelter, and habitat to dozens of other species of wildlife. Over the last 150 years prairie dogs have been reduced by more than 95 percent, and they continue to be poisoned, shot, bulldozed, and killed by exotic disease. Defenders is working to protect and restore large prairie dog colonies – and the many species that depend on them – in key places across the Plains.

Ferrets and prairie dogs struck by plague!

On May 13, 2008, Defenders' staff and others discovered sylvatic plague in Conata Basin, South Dakota. Sylvatic plague is an exotic disease to which several species of wildlife have no immunity. This new outbreak threatens our nation's largest remaining complex of prairie dog colonies and the most successful black-footed ferret site. Defenders is helping take action to stop this outbreak.

Read the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's press release.

Management and Policy

Defenders of Wildlife is:

  • working to end the destruction of prairie dogs on our public lands;
  • helping wildlife-friendly ranchers in Kansas save prairie dogs and reintroduce black-footed ferrets.

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In the Field

Defenders of Wildlife is:

  • working with Indian tribes to protect prairie dogs on tribal lands.

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