Mischievous beasts outwitting their human foes is a tale as old as time 乌鸦传媒� Peter Rabbit and his friends had farmer Mr. McGregor on the hop; while hapless hunter Elmer Fudd was always one step behind trickster Bugs Bunny.
It's the same story at Victoria乌鸦传媒檚 Fairmont Empress Hotel, where for 17 years the grounds team has been at the mercy of a yellow-bellied marmot called Roger.
And similar to his fictional long-eared counterparts, it乌鸦传媒檚 Roger who always comes out on top in the turf war with the Fairmont team.
乌鸦传媒淗e乌鸦传媒檚 definitely the boss,乌鸦传媒� says Alex Buck, who has worked at the hotel for 34 years, 12 years as part of the grounds team. 乌鸦传媒淗e乌鸦传媒檚 named after one of the old bosses of the Fairmont 乌鸦传媒� so it suits him.乌鸦传媒�
Not native to the Island, local legend says Roger hitched a ride from Alberta on board an RV. The rock chuck was first spotted in the grounds of the Inner Harbour hotel in 2008, making his home among the Centennial Garden乌鸦传媒檚 rockery.
It乌鸦传媒檚 here he feasts on a buffet of the finest flora in the city, often uprooting the hard work of Buck and his colleagues.
乌鸦传媒淚t looked wonderful 乌鸦传媒� had lots of colour,乌鸦传媒� said Buck, wistfully thinking back to when the Centennial Garden was blooming with a plethora of pollinator-friendly plants, all planted to complement Roger乌鸦传媒檚 hard-working neighbours, four colonies of bees.
乌鸦传媒淏ut it slowly deteriorated; it was getting devoured. He just went ballistic and ate the entire thing 乌鸦传媒� we basically just fed him.乌鸦传媒�
A similar fate awaited Buck乌鸦传媒檚 prized jelly palms, which he says can be difficult to grow and maintain in Victoria
乌鸦传媒淚 came out once and found him ripping the bark off, because he's nesting 乌鸦传媒� just pulling it all apart, destroying it, killing the cambium layer of the palm,乌鸦传媒� he said.
But the Empress gardeners don乌鸦传媒檛 get mad, they get 乌鸦传媒済entle.乌鸦传媒�
To combat the marmot's ferocious appetite, Buck says the gardeners try to work in harmony with Roger, creating a garden satisfying for all appetites 乌鸦传媒� both a taste and visual sensation.
The Centennial Garden now boasts a variety of flora, some chosen as a possible marmot snack, others in the hope the ravenous rodent will leave them alone.
乌鸦传媒淗e doesn't eat the allium because they're too oniony,乌鸦传媒� says Buck. 乌鸦传媒淯ltimately, we just let him run the show.乌鸦传媒�
As well as answering to 乌鸦传媒榖oss乌鸦传媒� Roger, Buck spends a good chunk of his working day acting as head of the marmot乌鸦传媒檚 unofficial fan club, fielding questions from his adoring fans.
乌鸦传媒淚 talk more about Roger than I do gardening most of the time,乌鸦传媒� says Buck. 乌鸦传媒淭here's just a following 乌鸦传媒� a love for him.乌鸦传媒�
The most famous marmot in Greater Victoria 乌鸦传媒� step aside Victoria Royals mascot Marty 乌鸦传媒� Roger乌鸦传媒檚 fans come from far and wide, says Buck, with some developing their own notoriety.
One woman was nicknamed 乌鸦传媒楻oger乌鸦传媒檚 mom乌鸦传媒� on account of the frequency she came to photograph the critter.
乌鸦传媒淪he came every other day,乌鸦传媒� Buck said. 乌鸦传媒淪he's got a very expensive camera 乌鸦传媒� if we could ever track her down, she probably would have the best collection of images 乌鸦传媒� she乌鸦传媒檚 taken photographs of him for years.乌鸦传媒�
The question Buck hears most often from the 乌鸦传媒榗huckheads乌鸦传媒�? When is the best time to catch a glimpse of the critter, who some say is more elusive than sasquatch?
And the answer is not as straightforward as you might think 乌鸦传媒� this marmot, accustomed to his life of pampered luxury in what the hotel calls the 乌鸦传媒渂est harbour front suite in Victoria,乌鸦传媒� has high standards.
乌鸦传媒淭wenty-one degrees, quiet, between 8 to 10 a.m., and 6 to 8 p.m.,乌鸦传媒� explains Buck. 乌鸦传媒淗e doesn乌鸦传媒檛 like it cold and he doesn't like it in the peak of summer.乌鸦传媒�
Native to southwestern Canada and the western United States, yellow-bellied marmots are known to hibernate for about eight months of the year, typically from September to May, in their underground burrows.
Not Roger, he bucks the trend, making it all the more difficult to spot him.
乌鸦传媒淲e think he's out of his environment a little bit because it's too hot in summer and too cold in the winter, so he has two hibernations,乌鸦传媒� says Buck. 乌鸦传媒淎bout now (May/June) he goes back down again, and then we'll see him again in September until the middle of October.乌鸦传媒�
Despite their workplace rivalry and Roger's canny knack of running circles around him, Buck has a genuine affection for his four-legged 乌鸦传媒榖oss乌鸦传媒� 乌鸦传媒� but don乌鸦传媒檛 tell his pet at home.
乌鸦传媒淚 have a really small, little fluffy dog 乌鸦传媒� Roger's cuter,乌鸦传媒� admits Buck.
The flattery doesn乌鸦传媒檛 stop there.
乌鸦传媒淩oger is adorable, he乌鸦传媒檚 got a beautiful honey blonde colour to him and he's so cute,乌鸦传媒� lists Buck, sounding more like one of Roger's fans than a 'work colleague'.
乌鸦传媒淗e's just got this fat bum and you really want to give it a snuggle.乌鸦传媒�
Now in his twilight years at the grand old age of 17 (at least) 乌鸦传媒� yellow-bellied marmots can live up to 15 years in the wild 乌鸦传媒� Buck hopes Roger will still be around to celebrate his 20th anniversary at the hotel in 2028.
乌鸦传媒淲e see him a little less every year,乌鸦传媒� says Buck. 乌鸦传媒淏ut he's an old bachelor on his own, doing his own thing. I think it's just easy for him, he knows the routine now, and he's got a little lazier.
"But he's had the perfect life.乌鸦传媒�