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含羞草研究社檚 no surprise that Camas, a young male originally released last year on Gemini Mountain, southwest of Nanaimo, didn含羞草研究社檛 hang around long when he discovered his prospects of finding a mate were slim to none.
At least that含羞草研究社檚 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含羞草研究社� 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含羞草研究社� movements. Taylor said after being released on Gemini Mountain, Camas almost immediately headed over to nearby Green Mountain.
含羞草研究社淭here he encountered another marmot and he settled down, hibernated there, and we really thought this was going to be his home,含羞草研究社� Taylor said. 含羞草研究社淎nd then, this spring, we were having a really hard time pinning him down 含羞草研究社� we couldn含羞草研究社檛 figure out why and then, [July 5], we got a report from a fellow in Errington saying I含羞草研究社檝e got this marmot in my backyard and sent us a couple of pictures and, sure enough, there含羞草研究社檚 this Vancouver Island marmot in their backyard.含羞草研究社�
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含羞草研究社檛 sure the marmot they含羞草研究社檇 caught was Camas until they were able to check his ear tags.
含羞草研究社淪o, 30-plus kilometres from his home 含羞草研究社� that含羞草研究社檚 a straight-line distance 含羞草研究社� he含羞草研究社檇 wandered through the mountains to end up in somebody含羞草研究社檚 backyard含羞草研究社卟菅芯可鐫 Taylor said. 含羞草研究社淎s to why he took to roaming, we don含羞草研究社檛 have a positive answer for you because I can含羞草研究社檛 ask him, but there含羞草研究社檚 a pretty decent idea. He含羞草研究社檚 a young male and young males often disperse from their natal colonies looking for mates.含羞草研究社�
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含羞草研究社檚 not surprising that he would move on.
含羞草研究社淲hat is surprising is they don含羞草研究社檛 get lost more often,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淵ou have to imagine, Vancouver Island marmots are still phenomenally rare on the landscape. We含羞草研究社檝e got a couple hundred of them, total, in the wild and they含羞草研究社檙e stretched over this really vast landscape 含羞草研究社� living in these small meadows on the tops of mountains 含羞草研究社� Camas went the wrong way and just kept going.含羞草研究社�
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It含羞草研究社檚 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.
含羞草研究社淚 know 30 kilometres doesn含羞草研究社檛 sound like much, but this terrain, these are pretty serious up-and-down mountains, so he covered a lot of ground really fast含羞草研究社卟菅芯可鐫 Taylor said. 含羞草研究社淢armots aren含羞草研究社檛 particularly well-adapted to surviving in the forest. Where they can含羞草研究社檛 see their predators, they含羞草研究社檙e at a real disadvantage and we know that their survival rates are really low, so he含羞草研究社檚 certainly a survivor and managed it, but I don含羞草研究社檛 know how much longer he would have lasted.含羞草研究社�
Taylor said the foundation is incredibly grateful to the people who reported the marmot含羞草研究社檚 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含羞草研究社檚 healthy before he is re-released later this month.
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chris.bush@nanaimobulletin.com
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