'Little cowboys' arrive at farm with opening of prairie dog enclosure

Cannon Hall Farm has redeveloped its new outdoor mammal facility and as a result has opened its very first prairie dog enclosure.

The tourist attraction in Cawthorne, Barnsley, is celebrating the arrival of the North American creature, which is a type of ground squirrel.

Prairie dogs are herbivorous burrowing ground squirrels whose mound-building encourages grass development and renewal of topsoil,

They are named for their habitat and warning call, which sounds similar to a dog's bark.

The family pack has come to the farm from South Lakes Safari Zoo as part of the ever-expanding small mammals project headed up by Georgie Kaye.

She said: “The prairie dogs are a really fascinating prairie species – I like to think of them as little cowboys, living in deserts.

“Many people thought, because of the name, I was actually bringing dogs, but they are very small and cute.

"There’s a viral video from a few years ago off them shouting 'Alan' to each other so they are very recognisable to kids – and they are up and about in the daytime so are very entertaining to watch.

“We already have the most varied collection of rodents in the UK and these are a great addition to this.

“The visitors are really enjoying seeing them.”

The farm is giving the new arrivals time to settle in, but then plans to add in feeding experiences so visitors can get even closer to the breed.