"PRAIRIE DOG'S FATE"
Prairie Dog
Acres and acres of grass-covered prairie stretch almost endlessly from South Dakota to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. This region and, particularly, South Dakota have such natural wonders as the Badlands, Devil's Tower, and Wind Cave National Park. The Black Hills also is the site of the famous Rushmore National Memorial Monument with its carved faces of four U.S. presidents. This site is 25 miles south of Rapid City.
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| Bison |
When I arrived at the airport in Rapid City, the prairie sights, sounds, and smells greeted me. The scenery was dominated by a peaceful herd of bison eating grass. Then I drove to the town of Custer which is the gateway to the Wind Cave National Park. After unpacking my bags, I decided to eat at the diner on the town's main street. The diner had a large billboard on its roof that featured a picture of a big buffalo. I ordered a buffalo burger which was the specialty and hungrily ate it all. At this point the establishment's proprietor approached me and asked "Isn't our burger delicious?" When I travel alone, such a friendly reception makes me feel good. I ordered another cup of coffee and started listening to the proprietor.
Soon the cowboy at the next table joined the proprietor. They talked about the Wind Cave National Park which was on my itinerary. This underground park is adjacent to the Custer State Park on the surface. When the Wind Cave was discovered in 1801, air blew from a small opening to the underground cavern. In 1903, or one hundred years ago, the site was established as the ninth national park in the United States. The hole to the cave is so narrow that only one person can enter it at one time. The cave is about one hundred miles in lengthÐa dangerous place in which to get lost. On the other hand, Custer State Park features the animal life of prairie country. Many different kinds of animals can be seen just by driving through the Wildlife Loop Road inside the park.
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| Bison |
Among these animals, the most popular one is the brownish prairie dog. The prairie dog belongs to the squirrel family. Its high-pitched cries inspired the animalÕs distinctive name as the dog of the prairie or prairie dog. The park has a section known as prairie dog town. The townÕs inhabitants are not afraid of visitors who approach them in their nests. However the cute prairie dog's life is not so happy.
These animals barely manage to survive as they face life and death in a struggle between environmentalists and ranch owners. Livestock farm operators hate them for digging tunnels and grazing in pastures and even blame them for spreading diseases.. The operators are willing to kill the animals without restraint. Similar attitudes are expressed by land developers who bulldoze prairie land to destroy the animalÕs habitat. Also hunters and ranchers regard prairie dogs as proper targets for shooting. When monkey pox was recently discovered among the animals, the hostility worsened. On the other hand, environmentalists have tried to protect the prairie dogs by moving them to wildlife sanctuaries. But their actions lag behind the destructve forces.
The prairie dogs faces an unhappy future. At the beginning of the twentieth century an estimated five billion of them inhabited vast prairie lands from Mexico to Canada. Today only five species of the dogs survive and several are close to extinction. The most common survivors are the blacktail and whitetail prairie dogs. They live mainly in South Dakota.
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| Pronghorn |
These animals do not damage the grass cover of the prairie. According to animal researchers, other animals such as bison and prong horns like to eat in areas grazed first by the prairie dogs. There the grass is likely to have more protein. Because the hostile view of ranch owners it is hard for them to reconsider the importance of the prairie dogs.
While I was going back and forth to the Wild Loop Road in the Custer State Park, I photographed the entertaining antics of the animals in the parkÕs prairie dog town. The dogs dig holes that reach fifteen feet in depth and reach an area that may be 100 feet in width. They live in family units. If an intruder threatens a family, the first prairie dog to sense the danger gives a warning. Whether or not there is any danger, however, the dogs communicate with each other by barking in high-pitched voices and standing on their back legs as well as raising both hands, while human visitors laugh heartily.
June is the season of new beginnings. The prairie grass is just revealing its brilliant colors to mark the start of a new season. The month is the season for new births in the animal world. The newly-born bison and prong horn toddle after their mothers. Female prairie dogs gather their offspring to the nests, just as teachers bring pupils togther in a classroom. Even in the world of prairie dogs the new ones behave as do other youngsters by running around playfully and ignoring adults.
Custer State Park
(Phone: 605-255-4515, www.sdgfp.info/parks )
Wind Cave National Park
(Phone: 605-745-4600, www.nps.gov/wica )