Taking pictures of marmots in the Alps

Ground Squirrels, hamsters and marmots are very funny animals and when you know where they are used to humans then you can really get pretty close to them for some photography. Last year in summer we went to this place in the Alps where it is pretty easy to encounter and photograph the marmots, and I am already looking forward to meeting them again this year. Initially we planned to visit them two weeks ago but then the weather there was pretty ugly, so we decided to drive to Vienna instead.

Marmot in the Alps. Picture: Florian Glechner.

But maybe in two weeks i will meet them once again on my trip to the "Großglockner" here in Austria where i will stay for a week. I hope the weather god will bless us and we are lucky to get back with some nice pictures once again. To get as close as possible to the marmots we take some carrots and other vegetables for them to eat. The following pictuer was made with an wide angle lens so the marmot is just a few centimeters away from the camera.

They are not disturbed when eating a carrot or an apple. Picture: Florian Glechner.

As you can see in this next picture it was pretty easy to get close enough for some wide angle shots of the marmots, because when they had their food they where not disturbed anymore. It was nearly like in a Zoo but without fences and up there in the mountains you would never think that the marmots are so used to humans that you could nearly touch them.

Stefan taking a picture with his wide angle lens. Picture: Florian Glechner.

Marmot showing its teeth. Picture: Florian Glechner.

It's funny when you see them wandering around in the meaddow. Picture: Florian Glechner.