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Naropa Changes Plan About Prairie Dogs

BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4) - One university's plans to remove prairie dogs from its campus has changed after it received sharp criticism.

Naropa University in Boulder has been trying to resolve the prairie dog issue on its east campus at 63rd Street and Arapahoe Avenue.

Prairie Dog
Prairie Dog (credit: CBS)

The university says it's counted 250 prairie dog burrows on its campus. School officials say they've spent four years trying to find a new home for the animals. While the city and county of Boulder has set aside 2,000 acres of prairie dog habitat, both say it's full.

Naropa says it had no choice but to apply for a permit to kill the colony on its campus hoping it would raise awareness.

Now the university has withdrawn its permit to kill the prairie dogs after activists delivered a petition to the school urging it to reconsider.

Naropa said on Wednesday that it will relocate the prairie dogs.

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