• Since 2000, and the first known translocation of Gunnison's prairie dogs in northern Arizona, we have moved 470 evicted prairie dogs to safe, new homes.
  
  
• The first job on a translocation project is studying the family groups, or "coteries".  Prairie dogs fare better when they are moved with their families.
  
  
• Another job that must be finished before we begin capturing is finding the new homes.  Arizona Game and Fish Department must approve all of our release sites, which also must be tested for plague.  Abandoned burrows make the best new homes.
  
  
• We use humane traps to capture the prairie dogs, and once they are captured we quickly cover the traps with burlap, which we sometimes spray with a mist from a water bottle, to help keep the prairie dogs cool.  They are sensitive to temperature changes and cannot be allowed to get too hot or too cold. Their burrows provide a regulated temperature.
  
  
• At the release site, we open a cage over the burrow entrance and once the prairie dog is secure inside the new burrow, we say a blessing.  The different Blessings we use may be found by Clicking Here.
  
  
• Habitat Harmony volunteers return to the release site at least once a week during the first two months following a translocation, to see if the prairie dogs are adjusting to their new community.  Monitoring continues for a full year.

MOVING IS NEVER EASY!
(But we are sure that we have heard several of the females commenting on the new digs, something to the effect that, "The new place is really more roomy and the neighborhood is soooo quiet!")

Click to View Past Translocations

• View Pictures from the 2000 Translocation Project
• View Pictures from the 2003 Translocation Project
• View Pictures from the 2005 Translocation Project
• View Pictures from the 2007 Translocation Project

Capture and Release Techniques

When prairie dogs are translocated, the best release sites are abandoned burrows.  However, due to the scarcity of abandoned prairie dog colonies that are approved for Gunnison's prairie dog translocation, Habitat Harmony researched releasing prairie dogs into man-made burrows.  This report also includes information on visual barriers.
Click Here to View the Capture & Release Research Report by Chris Campbell

Upcoming Prairie Dog Translocation Research Efforts

Unfortunately, prairie dogs living in expanding urban areas throughout the West are facing ever increasing displacement, habitat fragmentation, and conflicts with human habitation.  Likewise, wild populations of prairie dogs in rural areas are faced with the devastating introduction of plaque.  Translocations of prairie dogs have the potential to serve two purposes: rescue urban prairie dogs that are slated for poisoning or development, and repopulate rural prairie dog colonies that have been decimated by plague.  Translocations (also known as “relocations”) are considered an important tool in conserving the drastically declining prairie dog species.  Because translocation efforts are both time and labor intensive, Habitat Harmony, Inc., in conjunction with biology professors and students at Northern Arizona University are planning on studying the effectiveness of translocations of Gunnison’s prairie dogs in the Flagstaff area over the next two years.  The project plans on tracking the survival success of uniquely marked individual prairie dogs after their translocation to a new home, as well as developing recommendations for how translocation success may be improved in the future. 

News-

Emily Nelson, who is on the Habitat Harmony board, received a Heritage Grant for her graduate work with prairie dogs.

"Generous financial support for this project is provided by a Arizona Game and Fish Department 2008 Heritage Grant, a Grant-In-Aid of Research from Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society, and a 2008-2009 Bill Morrall Conservation Scholarship.  This project would also not be possible without the assistance of many volunteers.  Thank you for your support and interest in the conservation of Gunnison's prairie dogs!  If you are interested in helping out on this project, please contact Emily Nelson at Emily.Nelson@nau.edu or go to our Volunteer Page."

Click Here to View the Latest on Emily Nelson's Research Project

Meet Our Prairie Dog Ambassadors
Click Here To Go To "Tutored by Prairie Dogs" by Sherry Golden

Click Here To Go To Prairie Dog Blessings