Sleeping beauty marmot Roger yet to wake from slumber at B.C. hotel<\/p>\n
Published 5:00 pm Monday, April 20, 2026<\/p>\n
Victoria\u2019s most famous sleeping beauty is keeping his fans waiting.<\/p>\n
Roger the yellow-bellied marmot has yet to pop his head up from his winter hibernation at his longtime home in the grounds of Victoria\u2019s Fairmont Empress Hotel.<\/p>\n
Estimated to around 18 years old, the seasoned snoozer has already outlived the typical 15-year life expectancy of a wild yellow-bellied marmot, which has caused some to worry this latest nap may have been his final curtain call.<\/p>\n
However, his admirers are not ready to say goodbye to the rotund rodent just yet. After all, Roger isn\u2019t just your average rock chuck, he\u2019s more of a \u2018rock star chuck\u2019.<\/p>\n
Accustomed to his life of pampered luxury in what the hotel calls the \u201cbest harbour front suite in Victoria,\u201d Roger is known to play by his own hibernation rules, emerging on his own timetable.<\/p>\n
Native to southwestern Canada and the western United States, yellow-bellied marmots are known to hibernate for about eight months of the year in their underground burrows, typically from September to May.<\/p>\n
But diva Roger reportedly has two hibernation periods: a winter snooze from October to March, and a summer siesta when temperatures climb too high.<\/p>\n
His unpredictable nature has fans clinging to hope.<\/p>\n
Fairmont\u2019s director of public relations Lisa McPhail confirmed there has been no official Roger sighting this spring. However, he was last spotted in November, which McPhail notes is out of character for the critter.<\/p>\n
She theorizes that a mild fall and a cooler start to spring may have thrown off his internal body clock.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur resident marmot is keeping to a rather selective schedule this season and has yet to make an appearance,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor now, we\u2019re enjoying the suspense and the possibility that he\u2019s simply waiting for the perfect moment to make a grand entrance. As one of our most charming local characters, we most certainly look forward to his reappearance on his own accord.\u201d<\/p>\n
Not native to the Island, local legend says the yellow-bellied marmot hitched a ride from Alberta on board an RV, travelling to Victoria where he made his home in the grounds of the Inner Harbour hotel in 2008.<\/p>\n
Named in honour of former general manager Roger Soane, the portly personality has spent nearly two decades ruling over the Centennial Garden\u2019s rockery, with four colonies of bees as neighbours.<\/p>\n
News of Victoria\u2019s collective concern for its most famous marmot charmed visitors strolling through the hotel\u2019s gardens Monday (April 20).<\/p>\n
Visiting from Kelowna for her first-ever \u2018girls\u2019 weekend\u2019 with friends and family, Sherri Auvigne had not heard of Roger, but quickly became invested in his story, promising to keep her eyes peeled for him during her stay.<\/p>\n
She noted that excitement over a rodent\u2019s return might not land the same on the mainland.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you were on the prairies, you would be very upset to have a marmot come back because they make a lot of mess \u2013 they dig up your flowers,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s good to know that people do actually care about this kind of stuff, because there\u2019s so much bad news at the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Others exploring the gardens also leaned on the side of optimism.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019ll be back, there\u2019s so much nature here,\u201d said one passerby confidently.<\/p>\n