Wildlife scientists are optimistic about the future of Vancouver Island’s endangered marmot, which has seen a record 86 pups born in the wild this summer.
The Vancouver Island marmot, which is endemic to its namesake, is one of the country’s most endangered species. The Marmot Recovery Foundation estimates that about 20 years ago, there were fewer than 30 left in the wild.
Recently, however, their numbers have begun to grow, with nearly 60 pups born last year. Adam Taylor, the foundation’s executive director, estimates that there are now more than 300 wild marmots on Vancouver Island.
He believed that the increase in the population of puppies was due to weather conditions favorable for breeding in the wild.
“We’re very excited to see so many puppies,” he told CBC News. “They’re just everywhere.”
At least 86 pups have been born in the wild this year! For the record, this is the largest number of pups in the wild ever recorded in a single year for this critically endangered species. pic.twitter.com/p6nPgAigwE
“We have about 17 different colonies that have had marmots produce pups this year,” he said. “That’s about half of our colonies.”
Taylor said the new pups were caused by a mild winter followed by a wet summer, which seems ideal for the growing number of adult marmots of breeding age.
The foundation, based in Nanaimo, about 110 kilometres north of Victoria on the island, has helped with marmot recovery efforts over the years. It releases zoo-born marmots into the wild, rescues injured ones and monitors the population.
“We’ve really been working to rebuild the population, and that takes time for these marmots to go from being juveniles that were released into the wild to… becoming adults of reproductive age,” he said.
“So we’re seeing more breeding-age adults in our colonies, and of course we need that to have puppies at all.”
The Vancouver Island marmot inhabits subalpine meadows and is well known for its shrill calls that warn colonies of dangerous predators.
Climate change may affect predation
Jamie Gorrell, a professor at Vancouver Island University, said the number of new pups is a sign that population recovery strategies are proving more effective.
“For the island, the marmot is really unique. It’s a species that you don’t find anywhere else,” he said. “It also helps maintain the diversity that we need to have a functioning ecosystem.”
Gorrell said Vancouver Island, being separated from the mainland, has fewer animal species, and the marmot is one of the few mountain mammals that fill an “ecosystem niche” in the region.
Although predators are cited as the primary cause of the near extinction of the marmot on Vancouver Island, Taylor said climate change may also be playing a role.
He said the creatures thrive in grasslands with little vegetation — often because of heavy snowfall and avalanches that strip trees and vegetation from the surface. The lack of vegetation helps them spot predators like pumas and warn their colonies.
But, Taylor said, as the climate warms, more precipitation is falling as rain rather than snow, more trees are growing in areas where marmots used to live.
“Open spaces protect the marmot. Closed spaces, at least forest areas with really tall vegetation, protect predators,” he said.
Vancouver Island marmots are among the most endangered species in the country. Adam Taylor, executive director of the Marmot Recovery Foundation, and his team have been monitoring their numbers and caught this curious yearling on film in July.
Scientists also caution that while the surge in puppies this summer is a good sign, survival rates among them remain relatively low at around 15 to 30 percent.
The foundation said breeding female marmots give birth to about three or four pups every two years, with an average lifespan of about a decade. Taylor said he hopes a large number of the new pups will be able to eat and hibernate next winter.
“One big boost of puppies is not going to solve the problems of this critically endangered species, you know?” he said. “We need to see this pattern continue for years before the species really gets out of trouble.”
