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