NEED TO KNOW
- A Colorado zoo’s field team was in for a surprise when they unpacked their truck and found that a marmot had hitched a ride over 100 miles to Denver
- The large rodent, commonly found in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, had climbed inside the wheel well of the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance’s vehicle
- The animal was unharmed, and zoo staff released the animal on his home turf the next day
A Colorado zoo’s field team was in for a surprise when they unpacked their truck and found a hitchhiker had climbed aboard.
In a Facebook post shared by the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance on Thursday, June 19, zoo staff detailed how their field team had been traveling the week prior and, upon returning to the zoo, discovered that a wild marmot had made its way inside the truck’s wheel well.
“Last week, our Field Conservation team got quite the surprise: a wild marmot hitched a ride in the wheel well of a field truck and made the nearly 3-hour journey back to Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance completely unharmed,” the post shared.
According to the zoo, the wild rodent had hitched a ride near Minturn, Colo. — a small town in the mountains outside of Aspen that is about 100 miles from Denver. The zoo field team discovered the marmot upon their return to the zoo, and the organization’s animal care, veterinary medicine, and field conservation teams quickly conducted a health check to ensure the wild animal had not been injured during his accidental three-hour trek.
After the marmot passed his health check, the zoo’s staff returned the animal to the spot where he had climbed inside the wheel well in Minturn and released him.
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“Upon release, he darted to a nearby rock pile, kept a close eye on us for a few minutes, and then called out as he disappeared back into the wild,” the zoo added, giving a “a huge shoutout to everyone who helped ensure this marmot’s wild adventure had a happy ending.”
According to the National Park Service, marmots (or yellow-bellied marmots) are members of the squirrel family (and are also related to woodchucks and groundhogs) that are found in Rocky Mountain National Park and other areas of Colorado.
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These animals can grow up to two feet in length, weigh up to 11 pounds, and have reddish-brown fur and a yellow belly.
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According to Denver’s Parks and Recreation program, several precautions are recommended to avoid contact with wild animals in the area. The city states that humans should never feed wild animals; residents should cover gardens, window wells, home foundations and chimneys or fireplaces with screens; and store garbage safely so animals cannot get to it.
The zoo also shared a few recommendations for drivers navigating areas with numerous wild animals.
“Check your vehicles (especially wheel wells and undercarriages) before driving off from trailheads or mountain areas this summer,” the zoo shared. “You never know who might be tagging along for the ride!”
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