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 it91裸聊视频檚 no surprise that Camas, a young male originally released last year on Gemini Mountain, southwest of Nanaimo, didn91裸聊视频檛 hang around long when he discovered his prospects of finding a mate were slim to none.

At least that91裸聊视频檚 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 species91裸聊视频� 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 animals91裸聊视频� movements. Taylor said after being released on Gemini Mountain, Camas almost immediately headed over to nearby Green Mountain.

91裸聊视频淭here he encountered another marmot and he settled down, hibernated there, and we really thought this was going to be his home,91裸聊视频� Taylor said. 91裸聊视频淎nd then, this spring, we were having a really hard time pinning him down 91裸聊视频� we couldn91裸聊视频檛 figure out why and then, [July 5], we got a report from a fellow in Errington saying I91裸聊视频檝e got this marmot in my backyard and sent us a couple of pictures and, sure enough, there91裸聊视频檚 this Vancouver Island marmot in their backyard.91裸聊视频�

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 wasn91裸聊视频檛 sure the marmot they91裸聊视频檇 caught was Camas until they were able to check his ear tags.

91裸聊视频淪o, 30-plus kilometres from his home 91裸聊视频� that91裸聊视频檚 a straight-line distance 91裸聊视频� he91裸聊视频檇 wandered through the mountains to end up in somebody91裸聊视频檚 backyard91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频� Taylor said. 91裸聊视频淎s to why he took to roaming, we don91裸聊视频檛 have a positive answer for you because I can91裸聊视频檛 ask him, but there91裸聊视频檚 a pretty decent idea. He91裸聊视频檚 a young male and young males often disperse from their natal colonies looking for mates.91裸聊视频�

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 it91裸聊视频檚 not surprising that he would move on.

91裸聊视频淲hat is surprising is they don91裸聊视频檛 get lost more often,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淵ou have to imagine, Vancouver Island marmots are still phenomenally rare on the landscape. We91裸聊视频檝e got a couple hundred of them, total, in the wild and they91裸聊视频檙e stretched over this really vast landscape 91裸聊视频� living in these small meadows on the tops of mountains 91裸聊视频� Camas went the wrong way and just kept going.91裸聊视频�

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It91裸聊视频檚 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.

91裸聊视频淚 know 30 kilometres doesn91裸聊视频檛 sound like much, but this terrain, these are pretty serious up-and-down mountains, so he covered a lot of ground really fast91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频� Taylor said. 91裸聊视频淢armots aren91裸聊视频檛 particularly well-adapted to surviving in the forest. Where they can91裸聊视频檛 see their predators, they91裸聊视频檙e at a real disadvantage and we know that their survival rates are really low, so he91裸聊视频檚 certainly a survivor and managed it, but I don91裸聊视频檛 know how much longer he would have lasted.91裸聊视频�

Taylor said the foundation is incredibly grateful to the people who reported the marmot91裸聊视频檚 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 he91裸聊视频檚 healthy before he is re-released later this month.

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chris.bush@nanaimobulletin.com
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