Mischievous beasts outwitting their human foes is a tale as old as time 鈥� 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 Roger who always comes out on top in the turf war with the Fairmont team.
鈥淗e鈥檚 definitely the boss,鈥� says Alex Buck, who has worked at the hotel for 34 years, 12 years as part of the grounds team. 鈥淗e鈥檚 named after one of the old bosses of the Fairmont 鈥� so it suits him.鈥�
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鈥檚 rockery.
It鈥檚 here he feasts on a buffet of the finest flora in the city, often uprooting the hard work of Buck and his colleagues.
鈥淚t looked wonderful 鈥� had lots of colour,鈥� said Buck, wistfully thinking back to when the Centennial Garden was blooming with a plethora of pollinator-friendly plants, all planted to complement Roger鈥檚 hard-working neighbours, four colonies of bees.
鈥淏ut it slowly deteriorated; it was getting devoured. He just went ballistic and ate the entire thing 鈥� we basically just fed him.鈥�
A similar fate awaited Buck鈥檚 prized jelly palms, which he says can be difficult to grow and maintain in Victoria
鈥淚 came out once and found him ripping the bark off, because he's nesting 鈥� just pulling it all apart, destroying it, killing the cambium layer of the palm,鈥� he said.
But the Empress gardeners don鈥檛 get mad, they get 鈥済entle.鈥�
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 鈥� 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.
鈥淗e doesn't eat the allium because they're too oniony,鈥� says Buck. 鈥淯ltimately, we just let him run the show.鈥�
As well as answering to 鈥榖oss鈥� Roger, Buck spends a good chunk of his working day acting as head of the marmot鈥檚 unofficial fan club, fielding questions from his adoring fans.
鈥淚 talk more about Roger than I do gardening most of the time,鈥� says Buck. 鈥淭here's just a following 鈥� a love for him.鈥�
The most famous marmot in Greater Victoria 鈥� step aside Victoria Royals mascot Marty 鈥� Roger鈥檚 fans come from far and wide, says Buck, with some developing their own notoriety.
One woman was nicknamed 鈥楻oger鈥檚 mom鈥� on account of the frequency she came to photograph the critter.
鈥淪he came every other day,鈥� Buck said. 鈥淪he's got a very expensive camera 鈥� if we could ever track her down, she probably would have the best collection of images 鈥� she鈥檚 taken photographs of him for years.鈥�
The question Buck hears most often from the 鈥榗huckheads鈥�? 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 鈥� this marmot, accustomed to his life of pampered luxury in what the hotel calls the 鈥渂est harbour front suite in Victoria,鈥� has high standards.
鈥淭wenty-one degrees, quiet, between 8 to 10 a.m., and 6 to 8 p.m.,鈥� explains Buck. 鈥淗e doesn鈥檛 like it cold and he doesn't like it in the peak of summer.鈥�
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.
鈥淲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,鈥� says Buck. 鈥淎bout now (May/June) he goes back down again, and then we'll see him again in September until the middle of October.鈥�
Despite their workplace rivalry and Roger's canny knack of running circles around him, Buck has a genuine affection for his four-legged 鈥榖oss鈥� 鈥� but don鈥檛 tell his pet at home.
鈥淚 have a really small, little fluffy dog 鈥� Roger's cuter,鈥� admits Buck.
The flattery doesn鈥檛 stop there.
鈥淩oger is adorable, he鈥檚 got a beautiful honey blonde colour to him and he's so cute,鈥� lists Buck, sounding more like one of Roger's fans than a 'work colleague'.
鈥淗e's just got this fat bum and you really want to give it a snuggle.鈥�
Now in his twilight years at the grand old age of 17 (at least) 鈥� yellow-bellied marmots can live up to 15 years in the wild 鈥� Buck hopes Roger will still be around to celebrate his 20th anniversary at the hotel in 2028.
鈥淲e see him a little less every year,鈥� says Buck. 鈥淏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.鈥�