Prairie dogs are keystone species whose colonies support over 150 other species, yet they are poisoned in large numbers as agricultural pests with major ecosystem consequences.
Prairie dog poisoning programs cause mass mortality across animal communities far beyond prairie dogs themselves. Scavengers and predators that consume poisoned prairie dogs suffer secondary poisoning. The burrow ecosystems provide homes for dozens of species that die when colonies are eliminated. Individual prairie dogs poisoned by zinc phosphide experience significant suffering before death. These programs are often disproportionate to actual agricultural damage.