Prairie Dogs Lead to Birds Lead to Coyotes Lead to Plane Problems
An effort to exterminate prairie dogs at the Albuquerque
International Sunport in New Mexico will be stepped up, with continued threats
by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to shut down the airport because
of ongoing problems with prairie dogs. Prairie dogs attract birds of prey, and
officials are worried about a bird and plane colliding, causing a crash.
Coyotes also feed on prairie dogs. Since 2006, planes have struck 10 coyotes
with their landing gear. The city will contract with the United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA) to get rid of prairie dogs using nerve gas.
City officials said the USDA will also have the authority to shoot coyotes. The
FAA has told the city it will be doing surprise inspections. The extermination
measures are about keeping the public safe, officials said, noting efforts to
relocate animals using traps simply were not working.