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10 YEARS AT WORK
Fall, 2007: A Special Report On The
Vancouver Island Marmot Recovery Program
The Vancouver Island marmot remains on the Endangered Species List as Critically Endangered what have we accomplished and what will the future hold for this uniquely Canadian marmot?
Y OU, OUR PUBLIC SUPPORTERS, are partners with us in the recovery of the
Vancouver Island marmot. Along with our scientists, animal care specialists,
government, and corporate partners -- you’ve said it’s not okay to allow the
extinction of this uniquely Canadian animal.
As our partners, we want you to know exactly how we’re doing. Species recovery is a difficult journey of
hard fought gains and sad losses, and we’re in the early stages of the most important and difficult part
of Vancouver Island marmot recovery – reintroduction back to the wild.
Some may feel that rescuing a species from extinction by captive breeding is enough - but it’s not. Our
goal is to restore a healthy and sustainable population of Vancouver Island marmots to their natural
home on the mountains of Vancouver Island. Let’s see how we’re doing.
The Marmot Recovery Foundation demonstrates a
new approach to species recovery with government,
industry and the public sharing costs and responsibilities.
Major Partners
BC Government, Island Timberlands & Timberwest,
Mount Washington Alpine Resort and the Public.
Technical Partners
Calgary and Toronto zoos and Mountain View
Conservation & Breeding Centre
1,276 hectares has been set aside as protected marmot habitat by the forest industry and government. Added to
the protected areas of Strathcona Park and Schoen Lake Provincial Park there is suitable habitat to the support
recovery goals of three metapopulations on Vancouver Island.
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The Vancouver Island Marmot Recovery Strategy identifies
captive breeding and reintroduction as the only chance for
increasing the population within a reasonable period of time
and preventing extinction - our goal is 400-600 Vancouver
Island marmots living in the wild over the next decade.
CAPTIVE BREEDING - A GREAT SUCCESS!
Between 1997-2004, a total of 55 wild animals were captured and brought into captivity. To date, this
captive population has successfully produced 231 pups, including 60 pups born in 2007 (the sixth
consecutive year there was record setting reproduction in captivity) and the captive population has
increased to 162.
Releases began slowly at first because there were so few animals, but we can now anticipate releases of
40-60 marmots per year without compromising the captive population.
REINTRODUCTION STRATEGY
The Tony Barrett Mount Washington Marmot
Recovery Centre was built to provide the key link
between the breeding facilities and release to the wild.
Situated within natural marmot habitat, the Recovery
Centre houses, quarantines and acclimatizes marmots
born off-island prior to their release.
In 2007 the facility hibernated 73 marmots, had 18 pups
born, prepared 37 marmots for release, sent 9 marmots
to partner breeding facilities to optimize pairings and
received 44 marmots from partner facilities.
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CAPTIVE RELEASES HELP BUILD WILD POPULATION
1/3 of the wild population is wild-born
Releases 2003-2007
2003 – 4, 2004 – 9,
2005 – 15, 2006 – 31,
2007 – 37
Of the 96 marmots released
to the wild, 51 are still
surviving in the wild.
Plus, released marmots
successfully bred in the wild
resulting in 5 additional
litters (14 pups) born in the
wild to mixed (wild-born/
captive-born) and captiveborn parents.
• Potential breeding pairs on 13 mountains – up from 3 mountains in 2006
PREDATOR MANAGEMENT REMAINS A HIGH PRIORITY
Predation is the proximate cause of mortality, accounting for 67% of known marmot fatalities. The
main predators are cougars, wolves and golden eagles.
We continue to test non-lethal predator management techniques, the most promising being the use of
human shepherds, which has shown some success in deterring terrestrial predators (cougars and
wolves) but not necessarily the marmot’s chief aerial predator, the golden eagle.
We are also testing new release sites, to see if predation rates may be variable from site to site, along
with the size and age distribution of release groups in an attempt to improve survival rates in the wild.
Hibernation related mortality is the next proximate cause of mortality in released marmots, accounting
for 22% of the known fatalities. This is inconsistent with wild populations, prompting tests of
supplemental feeding of released animals at some sites.
2008 will see the largest scale release of Vancouver Island marmots to the wild, anticipated at up to 60
animals. A 10% increase in survival rates and continued release of 50 animals per year will result in
Vancouver Island marmot population goals being met within 10 years.
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Progress 2003 - 2007
WILD POPULATION REMAINS AT HIGH RISK
We’ve made progress, although the wild population still remains very small and fragmented with only 3
litters born in the wild in 2007 (1 to wild parents, 1 to a wild male and captive-born female, and 1 to
captive-born parents).
Wild marmots live in an extreme environment and are therefore slow to mature and reproduce. An
infusion of captive marmots will build the wild numbers more effectively, that will contribute to a
robustness and resiliency of the population, providing they live long enough to reproduce.
We’re hopeful larger releases to multiple release sites will provide the respite the wild population needs
to reverse the population decline.
YOUR HELP IS NEEDED MORE THAN EVER
Winning this battle against extinction means increasing the number and sizes of releases each year,
which means increased animal management costs as more animals are flown from our partner facilities
to the Mount Washington Marmot Recovery Centre to be quarantined, acclimatized and released.
It also means more radio-transmitters and crew will be needed to monitor the released marmots so we
know how they’re doing in the wild to make sure they have potential mates and are adjusting well to
their new environment.
We have tripled the Vancouver Island marmot population now estimated to be approximately 255
animals, in the wild and captivity, and are heading toward our target goal of 400-600 marmots in the
wild. It will take several more years – but with your help - we can and will win this battle for survival.
We share a common belief that a large part of what defines us as Canadian is our rich natural heritage. I
know you won’t stand idly by and allow one of the very few animals uniquely our own to protect to be
lost forever. I’m confident you will stay with us and see this recovery through to a successful conclusion.
Thank You For Your Support!