Cactus Flat, South Dakota: Six-Ton Prairie Dog

Twelve feet of paint-chipped, weather-worn, prairie-dog-resembling cement glory, next to a prairie dog town and the Ranch Store gift shop.

The Ranch Store in Cactus Flat is a great place to stop to feed the prairie dogs.

Beside the Six Ton Prairie Dog is a village of normal size prairie dogs. One was letting a teenage boy and girl pet him. He would run a short way and fall on his belly, pretending like he was dead. The boy and girl would pet his head and back, then he would run and do it again, falling on his belly.

It's such an adorable place! You can feed those hungry little buggers right out of your hand!

We just visited the large prairie dog. It looks newly painted. More of a pink body, but I guess that's part of its history. The Ranch Store was closed. We bought the small bag of peanuts by the bucket outside, placing $1 in a little red wooden box. No critters came out to see us, but from the looks of the discarded peanut shells, they are well fed! That would have been fun to see them up close and to actually feed them. Some holes are right next to the statue! I would have flipped if one came out while taking pictures! Lol