{"id":3926,"date":"2024-12-09T11:03:01","date_gmt":"2024-12-09T11:03:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lawtondailynews.com\/?p=3926"},"modified":"2024-12-09T11:03:01","modified_gmt":"2024-12-09T11:03:01","slug":"prairie-dog-population-control-efforts-spark-controversy-in-elmer-thomas-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/enidpost.com\/index.php\/2024\/12\/09\/prairie-dog-population-control-efforts-spark-controversy-in-elmer-thomas-park\/","title":{"rendered":"Prairie Dog Population Control Efforts Spark Controversy in Elmer Thomas Park"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"w-full scroll-mb-[var(--thread-trailing-height,150px)] text-token-text-primary focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-offset-[-4px]\" dir=\"auto\" data-testid=\"conversation-turn-5\" data-scroll-anchor=\"false\">\n<div class=\"m-auto text-base py-[18px] px-3 md:px-4 w-full md:px-5 lg:px-4 xl:px-5\">\n<div class=\"mx-auto flex flex-1 gap-4 text-base md:gap-5 lg:gap-6 md:max-w-3xl\">\n<div class=\"group\/conversation-turn relative flex w-full min-w-0 flex-col agent-turn\">\n<div class=\"flex-col gap-1 md:gap-3\">\n<div class=\"flex max-w-full flex-col flex-grow\">\n<div class=\"min-h-8 text-message flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 whitespace-normal break-words text-start [.text-message+&amp;]:mt-5\" dir=\"auto\" data-message-author-role=\"assistant\" data-message-id=\"07239b28-164a-4849-b2d6-e8bbc8114e88\" data-message-model-slug=\"gpt-4o-mini\">\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden first:pt-[3px]\">\n<div class=\"markdown prose w-full break-words dark:prose-invert dark\">\n<p>Lawton, OK &#8211; The City of Lawton is once again grappling with how to manage the growing prairie dog population in Elmer Thomas Park, a popular green space in the area. In an effort to curb the numbers, city officials have begun laying poison bait, a method that has drawn criticism from animal welfare advocates who argue that it is inhumane.<\/p>\n<p>This move follows a relocation effort in November, when approximately 150 prairie dogs were captured and moved to a different location. However, Larry Parks, the Director of Parks &amp; Recreation, said that while relocation is one approach, the prairie dog population remains a persistent issue, requiring a more sustainable solution.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPopulation control is something we deal with annually,\u201d Parks explained. \u201cEverything comes at a cost. The baiting comes at a cost, and when you relocate animals, there are other logistical issues that aren\u2019t always considered.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The decision to use poison bait, which is intended to reduce the prairie dog population by approximately 80%, has raised concerns among local animal rights organizations. Cynthia Armstrong, the Oklahoma Senior State Director for the Humane Society of the United States, expressed strong opposition to the method.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPoisoning is very inhumane, and we don\u2019t feel that\u2019s necessary,\u201d Armstrong said. \u201cWhen we first presented our plan to the city, there were donors willing to assist with non-lethal alternatives. We could work with the city to address the costs and explore more humane methods.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Armstrong has previously suggested several alternative solutions to managing the prairie dog population, including the creation of prairie dog-free zones within the park. These could be achieved using physical barriers, natural deterrents, or even visual barriers that are both humane and aesthetically pleasing, she argued.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-2 flex gap-3 empty:hidden -ml-2\">\n<div class=\"items-center justify-start rounded-xl p-1 z-10 -mt-1 bg-token-main-surface-primary md:absolute flex\">\n<div class=\"flex items-center\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pr-2 lg:pr-0\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"absolute\">\n<div class=\"flex items-center justify-center\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"w-full scroll-mb-[var(--thread-trailing-height,150px)] text-token-text-primary focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-offset-[-4px]\" dir=\"auto\" data-testid=\"conversation-turn-6\" data-scroll-anchor=\"false\">\n<h5 class=\"sr-only\"><\/h5>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lawton, OK &#8211; The City of Lawton is once again grappling with how to manage the growing prairie dog population in Elmer Thomas Park, a popular green space in the area. In an effort to curb the numbers, city officials have begun laying poison bait, a method that has drawn criticism from animal welfare advocates [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3927,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[136],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-3926","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-local-news"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Prairie Dog Population Control Efforts Spark Controversy in Elmer Thomas Park - Enid Post<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/enidpost.com\/index.php\/2024\/12\/09\/prairie-dog-population-control-efforts-spark-controversy-in-elmer-thomas-park\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Prairie Dog Population Control Efforts Spark Controversy in Elmer Thomas Park - Enid Post\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Lawton, OK &#8211; The City of Lawton is once again grappling with how to manage the growing prairie dog population in Elmer Thomas Park, a popular green space in the area. 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