Yellow-bellied marmots usually live high in the mountains, but two of the large rodents recently turned up far from their usual habitat in California’s San Francisco Bay Area. One was found in San Francisco’s Mission District on September 5, while another was later spotted in Antioch, about 45 miles northeast of the city.Wildlife rescuers believe the two animals may have reached the Bay Area by hiding in vehicles travelling down from mountainous areas. The exact origin of either marmot was not immediately clear, but Yggdrasil Urban Wildlife Rescue suspected they may have travelled from Tahoe or another part of the Sierra Nevada, according to Smithsonian Magazine.The first marmot was discovered after San Francisco Animal Care and Control began receiving calls from residents in the Mission District. Yggdrasil Urban Wildlife Rescue then stepped in to help capture the animal. Rae Paoletta, development coordinator for the rescue organisation, told the Reno Gazette Journal, “When the first marmot came in, we couldn’t believe our eyes. A marmot in the middle of San Francisco is not something you expect to see.”The rescue organisation said marmots are known to climb into the undercarriages of cars. In a social media post, it said they can even drink radiator fluid, pass out and later wake up in places far from the mountains. The possibility that the first marmot had travelled in a vehicle became more likely when another animal was found in Antioch.The second marmot was spotted “loitering at a job site”, according to Yggdrasil. The organisation safely captured the animal and took it to its wildlife centre. A spokesperson described the case to KRON4 as “one of the stranger cases we’ve handled.”
Far from the usual habitat
Although both animals were physically unharmed, rescuers said they appeared confused after ending up in an urban environment. Lila Travis, founder and director of Yggdrasil Urban Wildlife Rescue, told the Reno Gazette Journal, “They’re pretty lost.”Yellow-bellied marmots are hefty ground squirrels found throughout the western United States. They are social herbivores and can live in groups known as “madnesses”. Adults can weigh as much as 11 pounds and grow to more than two feet in length.Their normal environment is very different from the Bay Area streets and work site where the two animals were found. Marmots spend the short alpine summer eating grasses, wildflowers and seeds while building up body fat. When temperatures fall, they go underground and can hibernate for as long as eight months.Hibernation brings major changes to their bodies. A marmot’s heart rate can fall to only a few beats per minute, while its body temperature can drop to as low as 41 degrees Fahrenheit.
Rescuers tried to trace origin
Finding the animals was only the first part of the rescue. Staff also needed to determine where the marmots had originally come from so they could be returned to a suitable mountain habitat.Yggdrasil suspected the animals may have travelled with people returning from Burning Man, the week-long arts and community event held in the Nevada desert. One possibility was that someone travelling from the event had stopped in Truckee or Lake Tahoe before continuing towards the Bay Area.Another possibility was that the marmots had entered vehicles belonging to people who had recently visited the High Sierra mountain area, which includes parts of Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks.If the rescue organisation could not determine the animals’ original locations, it said it might transfer them to the Tahoe Wildlife Center. The centre could then help identify a suitable location for their release.The two cases also highlighted a problem for motorists travelling through the Sierra Nevada. Marmots can enter vehicles and cause damage while looking for radiator fluid.
Why marmots get inside vehicles
According to Travis, marmots may be attracted to radiator fluid because they are seeking an electrolyte they lack. However, the fluid does not provide what they need and can make them sick.“They have a missing electrolyte that they think is going to be satisfied by this radiator fluid, but it’s not,” Travis told KQED. “It just makes them sick. And they will sometimes be transported to strange places because of the car being driven off.”Marmots can chew through radiator hoses and car wiring. When they climb into a vehicle, they may also end up being carried far away when the vehicle leaves the mountains.The National Park Service recommends that motorists take steps to prevent this from happening. It advises washing the outside, undercarriage and engine compartment of a vehicle before travelling into the mountains.For people leaving their vehicles unattended for some time, the NPS recommends placing a tarp on the ground, driving over it and then using it to cover the vehicle, including the wheel wells.The NPS no longer advises wrapping chicken wire around vehicles because marmots have learned how to get around the wire.Before driving away, motorists are also advised to look under the hood and check for signs that an animal may have entered the vehicle. The NPS recommends checking hoses, belts, electrical wiring, insulation and radiator fluid levels, as well as looking for coolant or brake fluid leaks. After starting the vehicle, drivers should also listen for unusual noises.
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