My Marmot Friend

Photographer Name
Rick McCutcheon

Date/Year of Photo
2019-08-08

Location of Photo: (BC photos only)
McArthur Park, Kamloops, BC

Description of Photo
My marmot friend was contentedly resting under a big steel box after an evening meal. I had been patiently observing one of the colonies on McArthur Park in Kamloops where these lovely creatures have found a way to exist along with soccer pitches, baseball diamonds, ice rinks, and parking lots. My wife and I have been intentionally noting (and I photographing) how remarkable it is to see wildlife adapting to Kamloop's urban environment (e.g., marmots, bears, deer, magpies, big horn sheep) and these marmots are an iconic symbol of that adaptation. After several evenings of quietly observing this colony, I laid on my stomach (in stones and scat) watching this one keeping watch from under a large steel box, where they had made a home. Careful not to disturb, and knowing they'd begun to trust my presence, I was able to take many images. At first I wasn't sure about the stones and scat in the foreground, but a colleague pointed out that debris is exactly their context and environment. Tech info: Nikon D850 / Tamron 150-600 G2 @ 460mm. Settings: 1/60th, f8, ISO 400. Processed with LR and DxO PhotoLab. Hi-Res and RAW exif available.