Iconic Yukon prairie dog colony surrounded by development successfully relocated

The prairie dogs of Yukon are little hometown legends.

They're a reminder in developed suburbia that Oklahoma is still part of the Great Plains. To some, however, they're a pest.

Over the past week, wildlife researchers captured over three-dozen prairie dogs and relocated them to a site in northwestern Oklahoma. It's not clear how long the prairie dogs have been living there, now confined to an undeveloped field along the south side of Route 66 at Sara Road.

The nearly 18-acre plot, technically located within Oklahoma City limits, had been for sale and only recently changed hands. It was sold in May for over $2.1 million to Nandini LLC.

Kurt Kuklinski, wildlife diversity and research supervisor at the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife, said the colony has far more prairie dogs than the 38 captured last week.

"Not even close," he said. "There are still hundreds of prairie dogs left on that lot."

Prairie dogs surrounded by development

What's certain is that over the years, the OKC metropolitan area grew up around the colony's turf.

To the north, a major state highway and residential development. To the east, the John Kilpatrick Turnpike and more residential development. Basically, the prairie dog town is surrounded by either homes or highways on all sides.

Last year, the Yukon Progress reported that the animals have been venturing onto the highway more often.

The presence of the prairie dogs have been a concern for decades. In 1985, as developers prepared to bulldoze dozens of acres to make way for new homes, the prairie dog fields had already become a favorite location for school field trips and wildlife-watchers. That development was eventually scrapped .

Kuklinski said the current property owner has been adamant that if animals are removed, non-lethal means should be used.

Relocated animals doing well

Previous attempts to relocate the colony were made over the years, some more successful than others. This most recent capture was led by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and researchers from the University of Louisiana.

Kuklinski said the property owner requested a permit to capture the animals about the same time that a university researcher asked Oklahoma for help studying prairie dog disease and genetics.

"It really was fortunate timing where several things came together just right," Kuklinski said.

After the animals were captured, samples of blood and tissue were taken for research purposes before moving them to a wildlife management area in northwestern Oklahoma.

Kuklinski said a state biologist has been monitoring the colony in their new home and reports that they're doing just fine.

"At least initially, it looks like they have a good chance of success to survive on the open prairie," he said.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Iconic Yukon prairie dog colony surrounded by development successfully relocated