Tourist marmot caught in S.F.

A marmot hanging out under a Potrero Hill deck for the last two weeks has been caught, according to Wildlife Emergency Services, a nonprofit animal rescue organization.

A wildlife capture specialist with the organization captured the rodent Wednesday. The critter will now be taken for a health check at the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley, said Rebecca Dmytryk, director of the organization.

The group believes the marmot came from near a lake in Yosemite National Park, where they’ll be taking it after the health check.

The ground squirrels, which can grow up to 2 feet long, have turned up in the Bay Area before.

The wildlife center “receives calls every year about marmots on the loose,” Dmytryk said in a blogpost Wednesday. “In 2012, rescuers captured a marmot in San Jose (story HERE), another one in Gilroy (HERE) and again, last year, another marmot (HERE) was captured.”

A Twitter account named Bernal Marmot was created in June 2013 when another marmot was spotted in Bernal Heights. Now, it’s back up and tweeting.

 Article and Photos Sourced From:  http://blog.sfgate.com/stew/2014/07/02/tourist-marmot-caught-in-s-f/