The endangered Vancouver Island marmot remains one of the world's rarest mammals. In 1997 there were so
few numbers of marmots on Vancouver Island that managers took the bold step of capturing some to
create a "genetic lifeboat" and therefore create the possibility of restoring wild populations. The
first marmots went to Toronto Zoo in 1997, but this initial effort was quickly followed by efforts made
by the Calgary Zoo and Mountainview Conservation and Breeding Centre in Langley, BC. The Marmot
Recovery Foundation also built a dedicated marmot facility on Mt. Washington, Vancouver Island to
further facilitate captive breeding and pre release conditioning. The fundamental idea was to produce
marmots in a fashion that would facilitate their eventual return to the wild.

In 1998 a new model for species recovery was born involving the government, private industry and public
donors. A census in late 2003 resulted in a count of only 21 wild marmots known to be present on
Vancouver Island. After these findings, marmots were released from captivity in different places to try
to get the population back up to a reasonable number.

These marmots are still classified as endangered. The cumulative captive breeding program has steadily
grown, with 130 individuals in captivity (2010) and 442 weaned pups born in captivity since 2000. A
number of individuals have been released to Strathcona Provincial Park, Mount Cain, Mount Washington
and more southern mountains. From 2003-2010 the Marmot Recovery Foundation and the British Columbia
Ministry of Environment have released 308 marmots back into the wild.[23] More releases are expected in
the upcoming years to increase the wild population, estimated at 250-300 individuals in 2010, and 350-
400 individuals in 2013. ~ Wikipedia

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