In July and August 2013, Habitat Harmony worked with Vintage Partners to translocate 70 Gunnison’s prairie dogs from the corner property at Country Club and Interstate 40 in Flagstaff to new homes on Babbitt Ranches.

In addition to the 43 field days and many hours of daily work by the relocation coordinator, five field technicians, and our volunteer coordinator on the project, Habitat Harmony oversaw 42 volunteers whom contributed approximately 360 hours over the course of 36 volunteer field days to assist with this relocation effort. Volunteers included two AZGFD interns, three Kaibab National Forest interns and a wildlife biologist for the Kaibab National Forest from Williams, as well as many individual community members interested in the welfare of the prairie dogs.

Habitat Harmony borrowed equipment from two regional offices of AZGFD and Northern Arizona University’s Department of Biological Sciences, and pet kennels from Second Chance Center for Animals. A front page article on the relocation was featured in Flagstaff’s newspaper, the Arizona Daily Sun, and a short news piece on the relocation was featured on the NBC Channel 12 Phoenix evening news.

Local News Coverage

Moving day for prairie dogs