Vandals Cause $100K In Damage At Prairie Dog Management Sites In Boulder County
BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) -- Vandals caused roughly $100,000 in damage to equipment at prairie dog management sites in Boulder County, officials said Wednesday.
"The damage included slashed tires, wires and hoses cut, grass stuffed into gas tanks, shovels thrown into the pond, and seats and seat belts slashed," officials said. "Damage was done to every utility vehicle and trailer on the property."
A deputy was called to the Imel Open Space property, located near 63rd St. and Oxford Rd. in unincorporated Boulder County, on Wednesday morning. The equipment that was damaged belonged to Boulder County Parks and Open Space (BCPOS).
The agricultural property, which is owned and managed by BCPOS, is currently undergoing a prairie dog management project. The property is closed to the public for recreational purposes, so there should have been no visitors on the property.
Additionally, approximately 70 prairie dog traps were recently damaged, causing an estimated $5,000 worth of damage, at the Hillside Estates Open Space property, located near the intersection of Highway 52 and North 79th Street.
"It is unclear, at this time, if both incidents are related," county officials said.
The sheriff's office is looking into the possibility of this being related to the debate about using lethal mean to control the prairie dog population, but a motive is not yet known.
If you witnessed suspicious activity at or around either of these properties, please contact Deputy Tkach at ktkach@bouldercounty.org.