SAN DIEGO - A ground squirrel native to higher elevations hitched a ride from the Sierra Nevada wilderness to Encinitas in the bumper of a car, San Diego County Animal Services officials announced Thursday.
The yellow-bellied marmot was rescued Wednesday night after hiding in the bumper of Karl Knoblock's car during a six hour journey from the Dinky Lakes Wilderness area to Encinitas.
"I just couldn't believe the animal was actually alive and it had traveled all that way," Knoblock said. "I couldn't get it out of my car, so I contacted county Animal Services."
It took Animal Services officials in Carlsbad about an hour to safely capture the rodent as it moved about the vehicle's engine.
The California Fish and Game Department was notified and arrangements were being made to return the animal to the wild.
Yellow-bellied marmots are not indigenous to San Diego County, but live in elevations above 6,500 feet in parts of the U.S. and Canada, including the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada.
