Restoration of black-tailed prairie dogs to Vermejo Park Ranch, New Mexico, USA

Summary

The black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus), a keystone grassland species reduced by roughly 97% range-wide through disease, habitat loss and poisoning, occupied less than 200 hectares of New Mexico's 24,280-hectare Vermejo Park Ranch when Ted Turner purchased the property in 1996, despite historical accounts describing abundant colonies there. The Turner Endangered Species Fund began restoration in 1997 and translocations in 1999, developing and later publishing standardized methods: prairie dogs were live-trapped or flushed from source burrows, quarantined for one to two weeks to confirm they were disease-free, then held at prepared soft-release sites with artificial burrows and buried nest boxes for three to five days inside predator-excluding above-ground cages and electric perimeter netting before release. Between 1999 and 2006, 45 translocations were completed, expanding colony coverage from 202 hectares in 1997 to 3,950 hectares by 2012, with roughly 22% average annual areal growth correlated with seasonal precipitation and two-week post-release retention typically exceeding 50%; the recovering colonies drew a notable increase in associated species, including black-footed ferrets. Difficulties included poor burrow establishment during drought years when hardened soil and sparse vegetation slowed excavation, badger predation on newly released animals that sometimes required supplemental releases, and the need to actively limit colony expansion onto neighboring properties to preserve landowner goodwill. The project rates itself highly successful, crediting a thorough review of prior prairie dog translocation efforts elsewhere, a willingness to experiment and adapt, and strong, deliberately cultivated relationships with surrounding stakeholders and government agencies.