Marmots and home destroyed

This article was published on 04.24.08

Some unlucky marmots were found this week when a construction crew’s plow unearthed their colony. While plowing land for a temporary fire station beside the Grand Sierra Resort and Mill Street, Sierra Nevada Construction discovered at least three marmots, and it was suspected there were more. Foreman Scott Peters knew of no policy or protocol covering marmots, so he notified the city and waited. The Nevada Wildlife Department called in a private company to euthanize the animals in the name of public health. “Marmots are carriers of the bubonic plague,” said NWD spokesperson Chris Healy. “They also have the possibility of transmitting rabies. You don’t translocate animals that have the risk of transmitting disease.” He said exceptions are sometimes made for endangered species, but marmots don’t qualify.

Some unlucky marmots were found this week when a construction crew’s plow unearthed their colony. While plowing land for a temporary fire station beside the Grand Sierra Resort and Mill Street, Sierra Nevada Construction discovered at least three marmots, and it was suspected there were more. Foreman Scott Peters knew of no policy or protocol covering marmots, so he notified the city and waited. The Nevada Wildlife Department called in a private company to euthanize the animals in the name of public health. “Marmots are carriers of the bubonic plague,” said NWD spokesperson Chris Healy. “They also have the possibility of transmitting rabies. You don’t translocate animals that have the risk of transmitting disease.” He said exceptions are sometimes made for endangered species, but marmots don’t qualify.

Photo By Kat Kerlin

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