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Bold Young Whippersnapper

An inquisitive young Yellow-Bellied Marmot (Marmota flaviventris) scales a boulder near Lake of Glass, and likely hopes for a handout from passing tourists in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.

 

Whether it was hungry or not I don't know, as it didn't receive any food from our party, but whatever the case it was singularly unperturbed by the presence of humans. After I captured this pose, it descended the boulder and sauntered within a couple of feet of my toes as it went off about its Marmot Business. I think encounters like this are probably only possible because dogs are not allowed in National Parks.

 

I hope folks are hanging in there!

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Uploaded on October 1, 2020
Taken on August 22, 2020