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Prairie Dogs Will Not Return to El Paso Zoo After Dozens Killed

Incident Date:
05/30/2024
Location:
El Paso, TX - USA
Facility Name:
El Paso Zoo
Facility Type:
Accredited AZA Facility (AZA)
Incident Category:
Animal Death (AD)
Species:
Other
Animal:
Prairie Dog
Animal disposition:
Dead

Summary:

El Paso, TX – Prairie dogs will not be returning to the El Paso Zoo. A mystery solved at the zoo in November of last year revealed that two separate colonies of the animals were killed by a rare bacterial infection and tunnel collapse, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

In November of 2023, the zoo fully excavated the prairie dog exhibit after a second colony of a dozen of the animals disappeared shortly after being introduced a few months earlier in August. With those efforts, they were able to find all but three of the animals dead. The surviving three were in poor condition, and one of them died shortly-after, according to the report. The remains of a colony of 14 prairie dogs that had disappeared in 2021, were also discovered. A report by the USDA in 2023, concluded that 14 animals were likely taken by predators.

The previous prairie dog exhibit will be redesigned and will likely feature native Chihuahuan-Desert birds.

Action take by Born Free USA:

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