Some Prairie Dogs Being Relocated From Elmer Thomas Park

Since the prairie dog population at Elmer Thomas Park has been overpopulated, officials are relocating some of the animals to other wildlife conservation areas in order to maintain a "manageable population" at the park.

Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation officials remove prairie dogs with pump truck and dish soap.

98 prairie dogs were removed from the park are being relocated to the Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge in Jet, Oklahoma, near the northern border of the state.

According to the City of Lawton, city crew members used a pump truck to pump water through the burrows with dish soap. Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) officials say that this method was a safer than just filling the burrows with water, which could pose a risk for the prairie dogs to drown.

"The dish soap creates a physical filling of the burrows, that allow the animals to breathe as they make their way out," ODWC officials said.

More prairie dogs to be removed later this week & coming months.

Officials will still be removing 50 more prairie dogs on Friday, March 27 and more in the coming months to help keep a "managable population" at the park.

Despite how cute they may seem, prairie dogs can cause immense amounts of damage to pipelines, property and land. They've been known to cause issues for the park and surrounding homes, which is why it's typical for officials to relocate some each year.

Although officials have tried other methods of removing the prairie dogs in the past, using the pump truck seemed to be the most humane option.