Marmot, likely one seen in downtown Victoria, captured at the Gorge Road Hospital

A marmot was caught by animal control officers at the Gorge Road Hospital in Victoria Thursday morning.

Ian Fraser, senior animal control officer with Victoria Animal Control Services, says the marmot was located under a shipping container on the long-term care facility’s grounds.

The shipping container had two exit points underneath it and animal control waited until the marmot ran into a net at once of the exit points. A rolled-up towel was used to block off the other exit point.

Animal control officers work on capturing a marmot at the Gorge Road Hospital.

“We think this is the same marmot,” Fraser said, referring to the marmot that evaded animal control in downtown Victoria on Sunday.

“It seems more than likely it’s the same marmot.”

Fraser said the marmot is from B.C.’s mainland and it will hopefully be transported back there to be released. He said it may be a yellow-bellied marmot but officials will confirm.

Damon Carron, a care aide at Gorge Road Hospital, said the marmot was seen on the lawn in the morning eating clover.

Carron had heard from other people that the animal had been on the lawn for about three days.

Carron, who had seen an article in the Times Colonist about the marmot in downtown Victoria contacted Victoria Animal Control Services.

“It’s pretty cool,” said Carron who said residents at the long-term care facility were watching animal control get the marmot out from under the shipping container.

Over the years, several yellow bellies have found their way onto Vancouver Island in various ways, which threatens the Vancouver Island marmot.

The marmot captured at the Gorge Road Hospital on June 25, 2020.

The marmot captured at the Gorge Road Hospital on June 25, 2020.

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