Did You Know?

Vancouver Island Marmot

The Vancouver Island Marmot is about the size of a house cat. It’s the largest member of the marmot family.

Recovery efforts are bringing it back from the brink of extinction: there were about 200 known to live in the wild in 2019, up from 30 in 2003. But much work remains to be done to ensure this creature has a secure future.

Loss of habitat and predators are major reasons why it’s difficult for this species to make a comeback. Wolves, Cougars and Golden Eagles are their three big predators.

Vancouver Island Marmots are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as critically endangered. This means scientists know of only a couple hundred left in existence.

Vancouver Island Marmots are “endemic” to Vancouver Island in British Columbia, meaning they aren’t found any other place in the world!

Only three other species of marmot are found in Canada:

• Hoary Marmot (Marmota caligata)

• Yellow-Bellied Marmot (Marmota flaviventris)

• Common Woodchuck, also known as a Groundhog (Marmota monax)