It's homeward bound for a wayward marmot who landed in Burnaby recently.
Last week, the NOW published a photo of a marmot hiding out under a car on Burns Street.
The shot was taken by Frank Skinner, who spotted the animal under a neighbour's vehicle. Skinner knew right away it wasn't native to the area and grabbed his camera. The animal later disappeared into some bushes.
Neighbour Nicole Pope saw the story and picture after a friend let her know it had been published, and she contacted the NOW to let readers know that the marmot in question has since been safely captured and is heading back home.
She should know - it was her car that the marmot had taken refuge in without her knowledge, allowing it to take a little summer holiday to Burnaby.
"The lucky little creature came down from Squamish with me, where I had been camping for the long weekend," she wrote.
It's likely the animal hitched a ride from the Interior on another vehicle and then transferred to hers.
"We like to think that he likely jumped in at the Squamish Tim Hortons when we stopped for a quick warm-up coffee, as it was raining," she said.
She and her family contacted the local Wildlife Rescue Association of B.C., and they were able to borrow a trap to try to catch it.
"It took us five days to trap our little visitor, and during that time he became quite the neighbourhood spectacle, and (drove) the crows wild," she wrote. "He also managed to stuff my engine compartment full of moss and grass, apparently wishing to make it a permanent home."
Once they captured him, the rescue association took over to assist in relocation.
"Our marmot was quite the star as a lot of people didn't know what a marmot was or even looked like. . It is a very unusual thing to happen, and thankfully it has a happy ending," said Pope.
Marmots are not native to the Lower Mainland and prefer rocky areas with high elevation.
