+ Who we are

The Marmot Recovery Foundation is a registered charity dedicated to the recovery of the wild population of the Vancouver Island marmot. The Foundation’s approaches include conservation breeding, relocations, monitoring, supplemental feeding and habitat restoration as well as research, public awareness and fundraising. The Marmot Recovery Foundation works with several partners and stakeholders, including the Province of BC, landowner Mosaic Forest Management, Mount Washington Alpine Resort, the Toronto Zoo and the Calgary Zoo.

To learn more about the Marmot Recovery Foundation, visit marmots.org.

+ How the Marmot Recovery Foundation is involved in conservation breeding

The population of Vancouver Island marmots plummeted to less than 100 individuals in the late 1990’s and was unlikely to rebound on its own. To save the species from extinction and support its recovery, the Marmot Recovery Foundation and its partners initiated a conservation breeding program.

From 1997 to 2004, 56 wild marmots were captured and breeding colonies were established at the Calgary Zoo, the Toronto Zoo and the Tony Barrett Mount Washington Recovery Centre. Maintenance of a healthy breeding population provides animals for annual release while protecting the genetic diversity of the species. Thanks to conservation breeding and other recovery efforts, the wild population has increased from less than 30 marmots in 2003 to over 200 marmots in 2019! The conservation breeding program will be maintained until the wild population is robust enough to withstand random events and maintain sufficient genetic diversity.

+ Why the Marmot Recovery Foundation supports caribou conservation breeding

Conservation breeding has played a critical role in successfully reintroducing marmots to large parts of their historic range and improving the health of the wild population. The recovery of the Vancouver Island marmot demonstrates how conservation breeding can be an important component of a successful recovery effort for our most vulnerable species. It is a powerful tool that leverages other conservation actions, such as habitat protection, enhancement and restoration, to speed species recovery and facilitate the reintroduction of animals to their historic ranges.