Second group of prairie dogs released

After being caged, dusted and inspected, 27 New Mexico natives were introduced Monday to new homes in Las Cienegas National Conservation Area, about 50 miles southeast of Tucson. Apart from being a little homesick, the black-tailed prairie dogs, released by the Arizona Game and Fish Department, have a bright future, Kristen Lenhardt said. This is the second of six planned prairie dog releases by Game and Fish and the BLM. The reintroduction is aimed at restoring the native species that was wiped out in Arizona by the 1960s. Last year the department released 74 prairie dogs on land adjacent to the conservation area. The reintroduction number this year was significantly less due to poor weather conditions during the trapping in New Mexico. The organizations plan to add more to the site in the next couple of weeks...AzDailyStar