Colorado Teens Use CPR to Revive Drowning Prairie Dog
A pair of Lafayette teens who used CPR to save a prairie dog have prompted another warning from Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Last week (Wednesday) two high school students were swimming at the YMCA of Northern Colorado when they spotted a young prairie dog in the water. Their swim coach warned the students to leave the animal alone, however the students didn't listen.
Teagan Mayer and Grace Keogh pulled the animal from the water and began performing CPR chest compressions. In seconds, the animal began to wake up and breathe, eventually taking off.
The coach said this:
Those two kids took charge and basically made it happen. There’s not enough of that in the world right now.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife report that they have no record of anyone performing CPR on a prairie dog, and they don't recommend it. They say you're at risk of disease, including the plague. They said this to CBS 4 Denver:
“We would never advise for the public to step in and provide CPR to a prairie dog, no matter what the case. Do not touch or feed wild animals and do not allow your pets to interact with them.”
Source: CBS 4 Denver