At a rest stop in Wyoming, we pulled into a parking space to find the stop inundated with prairie dogs and rabbits."No Dogs Allowed" said a big sign in the front of the filthy restrooms. The whole place was decaying, and the vermin had taken over.
There was no doubt that the hapless travelers who used the rest area had been moved to feed the pests, for the beasts immediately approached the car. I did not get out, as vermin creep me out, but I did take pictures.
This foolish animal is trying to look as cute as a meerkat and failing miserably. Prairie dogs are destructive as hell, and like ground squirrels and gophers, can tunnel under a trail and ruin your horse's leg. (Just a couple weeks ago, I was riding my horse and the ground gave way beneath his hoof. Fortunately, we weren't moving fast.)
As we left the area, some prairie dogs came running at the car. I waved my arms to scare them away, but even more perked up and ran toward the slowly moving vehicle. I shouted at them, but they didn't care.
Then I thought of pouring some of my bottled water on them to spook them away from the wheels. At the first splash, the critters bolted -- straight for the water. They clustered, lapping desperately at the little puddle. And that moved me with pity. They live in such an arid climate that any opportunity for water supercedes everything else. You could bait a trap with water and catch a million prairie dogs.
I poured the rest of the bottle out on the ground for their buddies.
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