Edmonton man becomes 'accidental kidnapper' in Jasper National Park
An Edmonton man recently ran into trouble in Jasper National Park after a hairy hitchhiker hunkered down under the hood of his car.
Vincent Bouchard and his two kids spent the weekend backpacking in the park and they were excited to get home. Unfortunately, the mammal in their engine compartment had other plans.
"We get in the car, start driving and then all the lights start flashing on my dashboard," Bouchard said. "Check engine light, ABS lights, oil, temperature – everything was flashing."
There's no cell phone service on the gravel road to Moab Lake, so the family waited until they reached the highway to pull over.
"I open the hood, I look inside and I am shocked," Bouchard said. "I asked my kids to come out of the car, I just can't stop laughing.
"There's a big marmot – like a really big marmot – sitting right on my engine looking at me and it seemed perfectly happy."
"So that just means I drove nine [kilometres] with a marmot in my engine compartment which is pretty crazy."
Once he had collected himself and taken a few photos, Bouchard got to work trying to get their surprise travelling companion out of the car.
"Which is not an easy task it turns out," he said.
Motivating the marmot with a few gentle pokes from a stick not only didn't help, it made matters worse as the critter buried itself deeper in the engine compartment.
The scene attracted the attention of a passerby, who stopped to offer help. Bouchard said they shared a laugh over the situation before calling Parks Canada, who sent a warden.
"The Park's warden decides first to spray the marmot with cold water, because the marmot was probably pretty warm," Bouchard said. "It helped, she stopped whistling for a little bit.
"She seems happier but she still didn't want to move."
After another round of poking and prodding, the warden called a wildlife specialist who was able to snag the animal using a maneuverable collar.
"So after about two hours, we finally have managed to get the marmot out of my engine compartment," Bouchard said. "But that was not the end of the story.
"You would think everything was good, but then we just start driving again and the lights are still flashing on my dashboard."
With the help of an amused mechanic in Jasper, Bouchard learned the marmot had chewed through a wire under the car and he said he's glad it did.
"If he didn't, I would have been driving all the way to Edmonton probably with a marmot in the engine compartment and then there's a good chance it might have died," Bouchard added.
"[The mechanic] managed to patch the wire and then [we were] back finally on our way to Edmonton, and me and my two kids manage to get back home probably around 11 p.m. . . . but with a really entertaining story to tell.
"You know, it was quite fun."
Dale Gienow, executive director of WildNorth Northern Alberta Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation, said it's not uncommon for drivers to find furry surprises along for a ride.
"We actually see this quite often, both marmots and groundhogs will sometimes end up underneath our cars and they actually do this for a couple of reasons."
Vehicles make good hiding spots and animals can also be drawn to the smell of minerals or antifreeze, which also explains the nibbled wire, Gienow said.
"They can do significant damage and trying to get them out? Not an easy task," he added. "When you're messing around with them, they're just going to hunker down there and try to stay safe as deep in that engine as they can."
For anyone who spends any amount of time out in nature, Gienow said it's always a good idea to take a look before you leave for home.
"Definitely check your vehicle, if it's sitting anywhere for any length of time, for those hitchhikers," he added. "You don't want to be an accidental kidnapper."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
A candidate for Germany's key party was beaten up while campaigning for European elections
A candidate for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left party in next month's election for the European Parliament was beaten up and seriously injured while campaigning in an eastern city, the party said Saturday.
Explosion at train station leads to discovery of stolen car on Montreal's South Shore: police
Police are investigating after a BMW exploded in the St-Lambert Exo train station parking lot on Montreal's South Shore.
The pros and cons of discussing mental health issues in the workplace
A group of lawyers has written what they call a groundbreaking book about how mental health is perceived in the legal profession.