They’re fuzzy, they’re cute, and now they’re breaking records!
Native to the island we call home, the Vancouver Island marmot species could have a bright future ahead, as wildlife researchers have recently counted a record 86 wild-born pups this summer.
According to the Marmot Recovery Foundation, that is the largest number of wild-born pups that have ever been recorded in a single year!
This comes as welcome news as these specific marmots are considered one of the country’s most endangered species—in fact, as of 20 years go, it was estimated that there were fewer than 30 left in the wild.
The Foundation says that this summer’s pups are spread across 17 colonies and 32 litters, meaning about half the current Vancouver Island marmot colonies have litters, and many have multiple litters.
According to the wildlife researchers, the marmot pups may have a long journey ahead of them—the first step being to add enough body weight on to survive hibernation.
“While the mountain grasses and forbs are still quite lush, they do not have a lot of time. Snow can arrive as early as September in high elevation colonies,” the Foundation said in a media release.
They added that they will continue to monitor colonies this fall.
