[birds chirping]
NARRATOR: In the flatlands of New Mexico,
mornings used to be tranquil, but all that is changing.
[suspenseful music]
A new force is invading Dogtown--
[barks]
--the pups.
[bluegrass music]
Welcome to parenthood, Fergie and June.
After six weeks underground, the babies are big enough
to hold their own topside.
And these little critters have a lot of energy.
[barks]
June dotes over her kids.
She loves being a parent more than anything.
And Fergie, well, he couldn't care less.
In fact, he won't be doing much as a dad.
[guitar music]
It's the way of the prairie dog.
Once the kids arrive, there's not much for the boys
to do except eat and fatten up for winter.
So mentally, they pretty much ride off into the sunset.
The burden of raising the family falls in the gal's lap.
[pups chattering]
June and the rest of the females,
like her cousin, Autumn, do all the heavy lifting.
Dogtown is officially under new management.
[chattering]
But you know what they say--
the more things change, the more they stay the same.
[suspenseful music]
Danger is always lurking in Dogtown.
[chattering]
Bobcats-- this feline is a particularly nasty predator
for prairie dogs, as they tend to hide in the shadows
and pounce.
But when they find a good food source, they feast.
June has seen a bobcat attack before.
She knows what these creatures are capable of.
The pups are too young to fully understand what's going on,
but they're scared.
June can feel it.
[suspenseful music]
[guitar music]
Luckily, predators like these sometimes just pass through.
They take a look around and move on.
They may never see the bobcat again.
Then again, he could come back and devour
one of their loved ones.
It's just a fact of life around here.
But June hopes the kids are scared.
Fear teaches them the world is a dangerous place.
It's an important lesson.
But be careful what you wish for, June.
There is such a thing as too much fear.