South Dakota
South Dakota zoo welcomes litter of
A litter of six red wolf pups, a highly endangered species, was born at the Great Plains Zoo in South Dakota, the zoo announced Thursday.
The red wolf species, one of two wolf species in North America, has a dangerously small population size and is listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List. The red wolf is “critically endangered,” which is the stage before “extinct in the wild,” and its numbers are expected to continue declining, according to the IUCN.
As of May 2023, there were about 23 to 25 red wolves in the wild and 278 in captivity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFW) estimated.
The new litter, which is made up of two females and four males, is a product of the Red Wolf Species Survival Plan, which is overseen by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The plan partners with animal sanctuaries and zoos to assist in the captive breeding of red wolves.
Due to the efforts of recovery programs, the species has made a comeback after being declared extinct in the wild in 1980 due to human persecution and habitat loss, the USFW said.
The new litter’s parents — Camelia, from Washington, and Uyosi, from Texas — are first-time parents caring for their pups as best as they can, the zoo said. Meanwhile, zookeepers are monitoring the wolves at all times with a live camera.
“We are fortunate to have vet staff and animal care staff that have worked with red wolves for more than 15 years,” said Joel Locke, the Animal Care Director at Great Plains Zoo. “We had our last litter from our previous pair of red wolves in 2016, so the team is well-versed in red wolf care.”
As the pups grow bigger, they will be allowed to wander around their exhibit as long as visitors cooperate with the zoo’s request to keep quiet around the animals, so as not to expose them or their parents to environmental stress.
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RAPID CITY, S.D. — This weekend, the School of Mines will host the annual Cultural Expo – a chance to learn more about different cultures around the world.
South Dakota Mines is preparing for the annual Cultural Expo, a popular event that highlights different cultures brought to Mines by international students.
The event has a long history at the university, organizers learned from a yearbook that the first expo at Mines was held in 1963.
“We had a large group of international students here at that time, and they wanted to do something to celebrate their home cultures, and so they all got together and cooked food and basically did the same things that we’re doing on Saturday,” said Suzi Aadland, Specialist at Ivanhoe International Center, School of Mines.
On Thursday, hundreds of K-12 students were invited for the student version of the expo and participated in educational activities, crafts and storytelling.
“I think it was fun and cool and very interesting,” said Micah, from Bethesda Lutheran School.
“In lots of places, there are really cool valleys and mountains, and there’s different cultures and festivals and foods,” added Kaydence, also from Bethesda Lutheran School.
The public is invited to attend the cultural expo on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Beck Ballroom in the Surbeck Center.
This year’s expo will bring unique perspectives from nine countries and dozens of international students. Students will bring their traditions and lifestyles, food, traditional music, events, dancing, and much more to the event.
“A lot of a lot of people don’t get the opportunity to travel around the world, but they want to learn about the world,” Aadland said. “And so this is a great place to come to the world in your backyard. And so come to the School of Mines, and you can learn about other cultures. You can see some of the things that they have. It’s just a great opportunity to learn a little bit, just a little bit about another culture.”
Doors will be open until 2 p.m. but Aadland said up to 600 people attend so it may be a good idea to arrive early to get seated to view the entertainment and enjoy the ethnic food sampling.
Jerry Steinley has lived in the Black Hills most of his life and calls Rapid City home. He received a degree in Journalism with a minor in Political Science from Metropolitan State University in Denver in 1994.
Farmers are fighting drought conditions
Farmers haven’t lost their crops, but the crops are smaller due to drought conditions.
- As of March 18, 2025, all of South Dakota is experiencing drought, with 42% facing severe or extreme conditions.
- Federal experts, who monitor various environmental factors, predict these conditions will persist for at least another month.
- The drought has significantly elevated fire danger levels in the state’s grasslands and Black Hills region.
- While drought affects 37% of the U.S., South Dakota stands alone as the only state entirely under drought conditions.
As of March 18, 2025, 100% of South Dakota is under drought conditions with 42% of the state under severe or extreme drought.
During the same time last year, 11% of the state was experiencing drought with no areas under severe or extreme drought.
Each week, federal government drought experts check several variables including precipitation, temperatures, soil moisture, water levels in streams and lakes and snow cover to determine drought conditions.
Experts predict that South Dakota drought conditions will persist for at least another month.
With dry conditions and high wind gusts, the fire danger index has repeatedly been listed this season as very high for both eastern grasslands and the Black Hills area.
While 37% of the U.S. is suffering from drought conditions, no other state is completely drought-ridden like South Dakota.
Currently, 55% of North Dakota is under a drought.
South Dakota
Meat liberation, crypto & weather anomalies: Here's what's on South Dakota lawmakers' wishlists
Ambitious lawmakers have presented their legislative leaders at the South Dakota Capitol with a supply-and-demand challenge.
The Executive Board (E-Board) of the state Legislature will sift through more than two dozen requests from senators and representatives on Monday to spend the summer studying policy topics such as geoengineering, weather abnormalities, state investments in cryptocurrency, and meat production regulations.
But because the 30 requests submitted to the E-Board—made up of the Legislature’s highest-ranking members—do not include two major task forces on property tax relief and a new prison already established by state lawmakers and Gov. Larry Rhoden, respectively, few will make the cut.
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