Prairie dogs go missing from Columbus Zoo

An Ohio zoo is trying to round up runaway prairie dogs and is asking its neighbors for help.

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium said Friday that 11 of the critters had wriggled their way out of temporary quarters and so far only four have been recovered.

Assistant Curator Jeremy Carpenter says in a statement that there's no reason to believe the animals have left zoo property. But he says nearby residents are being asked to watch for prairie dogs, just in case.

The zoo says the animals are not dangerous.

They were among a group of 20 prairie dogs that arrived from another zoo in November. The newcomers were kept in quarantine, then moved into the temporary housing two weeks ago. They were to be introduced into the zoo's regular prairie dog exhibit in the spring.

RELATED ZOO STORIES:

• Whew! That's a relief: Escaped hippo returns home to Montenegro zoo

• Sumatran orangutan Karta escapes her enclosure at Australia's Adelaide Zoo

-- Associated Press

Photo: One of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium's prairie dogs in an undated photo. Credit: Associated Press

Comments

[Joel Maguire]

Carl Hiaasen wrote an eerily similar comedic romp that took place in Florida, about kidnapped rare zoo creatures.

[Cynthia]

Just wanted you bloggers to know how much I enjoy LA Unleashed. I read it every weekday, and often send your posts to my friends or add them to my FB stream.

While all the posts are good, "Your Morning Adorable" is always, well, adorable! I count on you to make my day.

Keep up the stories about adoptable dogs in the LA county and other nearby county shelters. There are so many adoptable animals that don't find homes. It's heartbreaking but each post you write makes a difference.

And I love the quote in this post about the escaped prairie dogs: "The zoo says the animals are not dangerous." What a relief for the citizens of Columbus!

Thanks very much.

Cynthia in Silicon Valley
(originally from LA area)

[BaitShop]

These critters will be all over, just look for their dirt mounds.

[L.A. Voter]

Of course this is very important and earth-shaking news in the prairie dog community -- here's the reaction of one prairie dog we interviewed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8Kyi0WNg40

[Lindsay Barnett, L.A. Times]

Cynthia, we're blushing. Thanks so much for reading, sharing posts and taking the time to comment! We really appreciate it!

[Lindsay Barnett, L.A. Times]

Ha!! Well played, L.A. Voter, well played.