A Vancouver Island marmot is back in custody after hitting the trail, most likely looking for love.
Vancouver Island marmots are few and far between, so it害羞草研究所檚 no surprise that Camas, a young male originally released last year on Gemini Mountain, southwest of Nanaimo, didn害羞草研究所檛 hang around long when he discovered his prospects of finding a mate were slim to none.
At least that害羞草研究所檚 a theory Adam Taylor, executive director of the Marmot Recovery Foundation, is working with to to explain why Camas went walkabout.
Camas was bred and raised in captivity at the Calgary Zoo as part of a recovery effort to raise the species害羞草研究所� population, which the foundation estimates is about 200.
Marmots are tracked via radio signals emitted from tiny surgically implanted radio transmitters, which within the limitations of the technology, give a sense of the animals害羞草研究所� movements. Taylor said after being released on Gemini Mountain, Camas almost immediately headed over to nearby Green Mountain.
害羞草研究所淭here he encountered another marmot and he settled down, hibernated there, and we really thought this was going to be his home,害羞草研究所� Taylor said. 害羞草研究所淎nd then, this spring, we were having a really hard time pinning him down 害羞草研究所� we couldn害羞草研究所檛 figure out why and then, [July 5], we got a report from a fellow in Errington saying I害羞草研究所檝e got this marmot in my backyard and sent us a couple of pictures and, sure enough, there害羞草研究所檚 this Vancouver Island marmot in their backyard.害羞草研究所�
The foundation immediately sent a team which trapped the marmot in a neighbouring backyard, ending a journey that started about May 29, which was the last time researchers had caught a radio signal. Taylor said the foundation team wasn害羞草研究所檛 sure the marmot they害羞草研究所檇 caught was Camas until they were able to check his ear tags.
害羞草研究所淪o, 30-plus kilometres from his home 害羞草研究所� that害羞草研究所檚 a straight-line distance 害羞草研究所� he害羞草研究所檇 wandered through the mountains to end up in somebody害羞草研究所檚 backyard害羞草研究所π卟菅芯克鶟 Taylor said. 害羞草研究所淎s to why he took to roaming, we don害羞草研究所檛 have a positive answer for you because I can害羞草研究所檛 ask him, but there害羞草研究所檚 a pretty decent idea. He害羞草研究所檚 a young male and young males often disperse from their natal colonies looking for mates.害羞草研究所�
Taylor said if the other marmot on Green Mountain was the same sex or if another adult male had moved into the area and started to mate with the only female there, that would leave Camas with pretty slim prospects for reproducing, so it害羞草研究所檚 not surprising that he would move on.
害羞草研究所淲hat is surprising is they don害羞草研究所檛 get lost more often,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淵ou have to imagine, Vancouver Island marmots are still phenomenally rare on the landscape. We害羞草研究所檝e got a couple hundred of them, total, in the wild and they害羞草研究所檙e stretched over this really vast landscape 害羞草研究所� living in these small meadows on the tops of mountains 害羞草研究所� Camas went the wrong way and just kept going.害羞草研究所�
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It害羞草研究所檚 also surprising, Taylor said, that the marmot descended to such a low elevation, although it has happened before. Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre students found one on a beach there, while another was found in a rock quarry near Nanaimo.
害羞草研究所淚 know 30 kilometres doesn害羞草研究所檛 sound like much, but this terrain, these are pretty serious up-and-down mountains, so he covered a lot of ground really fast害羞草研究所π卟菅芯克鶟 Taylor said. 害羞草研究所淢armots aren害羞草研究所檛 particularly well-adapted to surviving in the forest. Where they can害羞草研究所檛 see their predators, they害羞草研究所檙e at a real disadvantage and we know that their survival rates are really low, so he害羞草研究所檚 certainly a survivor and managed it, but I don害羞草研究所檛 know how much longer he would have lasted.害羞草研究所�
Taylor said the foundation is incredibly grateful to the people who reported the marmot害羞草研究所檚 arrival in their yard. Camas is now at the Tony Barrett Mount Washington Recovery Centre where researchers will keep an eye on him for a while to make certain he害羞草研究所檚 healthy before he is re-released later this month.
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chris.bush@nanaimobulletin.com
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