A tourist’s car key was unexpectedly stolen by a marmot while on a self-driving trip in western Sichuan, China. Fortunately, with the enthusiastic assistance of local Tibetan villagers and a volunteer service team, the key was eventually recovered.
According to Chinese media reports, a netizen posted a video on August 4 revealing that during their trip in western Sichuan, their car key was taken by a marmot. Other netizens also shared videos attempting to “catch” the marmot.
The woman surnamed Fang explained that on the afternoon of the 3rd, her family was having lunch in Xiazetong Village, Litang, when they heard someone feeding marmots nearby. “The two kids were very excited to see marmots for the first time,” she said.
After lunch, the family went to the marmot’s burrow area, where many marmots were popping their heads out looking for food. The children eagerly took out fruits and snacks from the car to feed them.
Fang said, “Since we had a lot of snacks, I put the snacks, phone, and car key together in a bag and left it nearby while the kids fed the marmots.”
Worried about plague risks from marmots, she kept an eye on the children’s safety but did not pay much attention to the bag. Unexpectedly, a marmot stole snacks from the bag and, right in front of them, dragged the car key into its burrow.
Her husband initially thought the burrow was shallow and tried probing with a nearly 2-meter-long stick but couldn’t find the key, so they reported the incident to the police.
Fang shared that roadwork was ongoing in Xiazetong Village, and local herders and police officers arrived quickly to help. “I saw the situation was serious and sought help from the police, who tried hard to retrieve the key. They also enlisted village herders, using strong magnets and steel wires. Even the village head and officials came to assist,” she said.
After over three hours of effort—from 3 pm to 7 pm—the key was finally pulled out using a strong magnet. Videos showed a man lying on the ground, reaching into the burrow to search for the key, surrounded by many onlookers.
Fang expressed deep gratitude to the police and villagers for their help, saying this trip would be unforgettable.
Staff from Xiazetong Village in Litang County, Sichuan’s Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, confirmed the event. They said village officials and the local tourism volunteer team rushed to the scene and worked together for over an hour digging to recover the key.
The staff said they were unsure why the marmot stole the key, as such incidents are extremely rare locally. Due to the vast plateau region and dispersed population, it’s hard to monitor everywhere, so warning signs are placed by roadsides advising tourists not to feed wild animals.
They reminded visitors not to feed marmots because these animals can carry diseases. If tourists encounter similar incidents, they can seek help by contacting emergency volunteer service numbers available at local checkpoints.
In fact, a cyclist in July tried to capture marmots emerging from their burrows with a sports camera but had it stolen by a clever marmot—an item that was never recovered. Experts suggest marmots may be attracted to shiny and reflective objects, explaining their tendency to “collect” such items.
Netizens humorously commented, “The marmot now has a sports camera and car keys—ready to become a travel blogger,” “New car keys, congratulations,” “The marmot’s been busy robbing on the grasslands lately,” and “I can’t stop laughing because this didn’t happen to me.”
