"This Cute Thief Is a Repeat Offender"... Stealing Shoes and Even Damaging Cars

Stealing Shoes and Hiking Gear, Damaging Vehicles
Wrapping Cars in Tarps to Counter Marmot Damage

Marmots, members of the squirrel family, have become a nuisance in U.S. national parks, stealing hikers' shoes and trekking poles and even damaging vehicles. As marmot attacks have continued, hikers have responded by wrapping their vehicles with tarps as a precaution.

The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. Pixabay

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on August 27 (local time), there have been a series of incidents at Sequoia National Park in California involving marmots stealing backpacks and shoes from visitors and gnawing on hiking equipment.

Jeff Waite, who visited for a camping trip, said, "After a marmot took one of my shoes, I now tie my shoes together at the campsite." Another visitor recounted, "A marmot stole my trekking pole and even lunged at my companion when we tried to get it back."

The parking lot at the entrance to the Mineral King Valley trails within the park has been especially prone to vehicle damage from marmots. Marmots sometimes crawl under cars and chew through hoses, causing mechanical breakdowns.

One visitor paid more than $1,000 to tow a car over a mountain road stretching 23 miles (about 37 km) after a marmot caused a breakdown. Although they wrapped the undercarriage of the vehicle with a tarp, this measure failed to prevent damage.

Such incidents are also occurring in other western U.S. regions. In Colorado, a marmot once hid inside a car and ended up traveling all the way to Arizona.

Experts believe this behavior in marmots is related to their tendency to seek out salt. Marmots are thought to be attracted to salt contained in human sweat left on backpacks or hiking equipment, as well as in vehicle coolant.

Hikers took measures such as wrapping their vehicles with tarps to prevent damage from marmots. YouTube capture

In areas where marmot damage is frequent, it has become common to see vehicles wrapped in tarps. During the high-activity months for marmots, from May to July, parking lots are often filled with cars covered in tarps.

However, there are no concrete statistics to show that tarps actually reduce marmot-related damage. Tarps are presumed to serve as a visual barrier to block marmots from approaching vehicles. It is reported that stores at the base of the mountain have sold 60 tarps this season alone. Videos on platforms such as YouTube also offer recommendations for wrapping vehicles in tarps or provide demonstrations on how to do so.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.