During a recent routine check of a marmot colony near Castlecrag Mountain in Strathcona Provincial Park, a pair of researchers discovered a welcome surprise. Molly the marmot, an offspring from one of the first Vancouver Island marmots released into the wild nine years ago, had produced six pups of her own. It is an accomplishment Adam Taylor, executive director of the Marmot Recovery Foundation in Nanaimo, calls incredible.
Taylor says “We were thrilled. It’s definitely rare, noting the marmots generally have three to four pups every other year. Not only has she given birth to six pups, she’s also managed to ween them. For her to accomplish that means she’s in really good health"
The birth of six pups adds to the growing success story of how one of the most endangered mammals in the world is slowly making a comeback. Nine years ago, marmots in Strathcona Park were completely wiped out. Disease, climate and landscape changes were pegged as possible factors contributing to their mysterious disappearance from alpine meadows that may have once supported hundreds of marmots.
Now there are between 40 to 50 marmots in the park. This success is thanks to recovery efforts led by partnerships between a number of organizations, including the Marmot Recovery Foundation, the provincial government, zoos and landowners. Many of the animals can be traced to captive breeding programs in the Calgary and Toronto zoos.
During the last two years, researchers have seen surprisingly good marmot reproduction in Strathcona Park, with at least 12 pups born in 2017 and 11 the year before. Another 70 to 80 marmots are found in a handful of colonies within private lands owned by forest companies west of Nanaimo. Another colony lives at Mount Washington, bringing the total population to between 150 and 200.