Wild animal hitches ride from Colorado wilderness to zoo. See ‘surprise’ stowaway
.jpeg "A wild animal hitched a ride on a field truck from the Colorado wilderness — to a zoo.")
Conservation officials were shocked to discover a wild animal hitched a ride with them from the Colorado wilderness — to the zoo.
“Our Field Conservation team got quite the surprise: a wild marmot hitched a ride in the wheel well of a field truck and made the nearly 3-hour journey back to Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance completely unharmed,” the zoo said in a June 19 post on Facebook.
“Luckily he picked the perfect people who would know what to do with him,” someone said in the comments.
The zoo’s animal care and veterinary teams gave him a “full health check” and sent him back to the exact spot he’d come from near Minturn, where he’d climbed aboard the day before, the zoo said.
“Upon release, he darted to a nearby rock pile, kept a close eye on us for a few minutes, and then called out as he disappeared back into the wild,” the zoo said.
“The chirp was a thank you,” someone suggested in the comments.
Photos show the cheeky animal being removed from the wheel well, in an animal carrier and then baring his prominent front teeth toward the camera upon his release.
“He looks pretty pleased with himself!” someone said.
“A huge shoutout to everyone who helped ensure this marmot’s wild adventure had a happy ending, and a reminder for all our nature-loving friends: Check your vehicles (especially wheel wells and undercarriages) before driving off from trailheads or mountain areas this summer,” the zoo said. “You never know who might be tagging along for the ride!”
Several people joked that none of the marmot’s buddies would believe his “alien abduction story” or “that the aliens scanned and probed him.”
“What a story he can tell the gang!” someone else said. “Probably won’t believe him.”
“I think he might have been hoping for free food and no predators,” another person suggested.
“He must have wanted to see how the other half lives!” someone said.
Minturn is about a 100-mile drive west from Denver.
This story was originally published June 27, 2025 at 6:17 PM with the headline "Wild animal hitches ride from Colorado wilderness to zoo. See ‘surprise’ stowaway."
