A furry little rodent is causing huge problems for hikers and campers in Sequoia National Park and other parks across the U.S. The little guys have discovered that your parked car, truck, or SUV could hold a tasty but hazardous treat — one they’re not afraid to get to, by any gnaw necessary.
Little Teeth Are Causing Expensive Problems
Marmots are on the move in parks like Sequoia. The population of yellow-bellied marmots (aka rock chucks) might not be growing, but it is getting more aggressive. Hikers and campers are returning to the parking lot to find some very expensive puddles on the ground beneath their vehicles. That means a long and very costly tow, especially if your parking spot isn’t just close to the paved roads.
The marmots are going for coolant lines, the Wall Street Journal reports. The coolant in most vehicles is largely made of two substances: water and ethylene glycol. When you mix the two, you end up with a liquid that has a freezing temperature far below where either would freeze on its own. That’s why it’s used in cars. Ethylene glycol has a sweet taste, and that’s seemingly what’s attracting the animals.
Coolant Isn’t Good for the Animals, Either
Unfortunately, a chewed-through coolant (or antifreeze) hose isn’t only a problem for you. Ethylene glycol is also highly toxic to animals, so drinking a tasty mouthful can lead to death due to severe, irreversible kidney failure.
To help combat the marmots and other rodents, parkgoers are trying to armor their vehicles from underneath. It started with chicken wire to protect against similar issues with porcupines, but marmots are apparently much more belligerent, so it didn’t foil the critters for long.
Now owners have resorted to parking over large tarps and wrapping them around the vehicle like a diaper to keep marmots from finding lunch under their rides. Some even have more advanced custom zip-up wraps to keep them away. The fabric deterrents seem to be working, though the marmots could easily chew through them.
“It looks like a parking lot full of giant Christmas presents,” Eileen Vasko, a server at the Silver City Mountain Resort, told WSJ. Another local said that they like to trade pictures of poorly wrapped vehicles.
Seasonal Marmot Disorder
This isn’t a sudden problem, the report said. It’s been an issue at Sequoia National Park for years, though it seems to have worsened. Parking lots bordering trailheads in the Mineral King Valley are where you’re most likely to find the aggressive critters, and they’re visible from the trailhead.
It’s worst between May and June, which is high season for the animals, and the time when parkgoers say that they’re most aggressively pursued by the critters. Marmots have been seen stealing shoes, going after hiking poles and backpacks, and even charging at or biting trekkers. Park Rangers say there’s no need to tarp your car outside of peak season, but locals and frequent visitors aren’t convinced.
GearJunkie reached out to the National Park Service for comment, but didn’t receive a response in time for publication.
