New prairie dog pups now featured at the Detroit Zoo

ROYAL OAK, Mich. (WXYZ) - They’re one of the smallest animals at the Detroit Zoo, but a whole lot of fun to watch! We’re talking about the prairie dogs, and right now there are about 25 pups running around.

The baby prairie dogs were born this spring.

Before you go check them out, let’s clear up a big misconception; prairie dogs aren’t dogs.

“They’re actually a type of rodent, related to squirrels,” says Ron Kagan, Detroit Zoo Director. “They got that name because in the wild when they vocalize they do a kind of bark. So the settlers, some hundreds of years ago, decided they’re prairie dogs because they lived in prairies and bark like dogs!”

If you have little ones, you’ll definitely want to check out the prairie dog exhibit. It features a tunnel that leads to pop-up viewing bubbles. Kids can literally go nose-to-nose with the prairie dogs!

CLICK HERE to learn more about the prairie dogs at the Detroit Zoo.