A Journey Through the Seasons: Vancouver Island Marmots at the Wilder Institute

November 19, 2024

Found only on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, the Vancouver Island marmot is one of the most endangered mammals in the world. Just two decades ago, fewer than 30 remained in the wild. In 1998, the Wilder Institute joined multiple conservation partners, including the Marmot Recovery Foundation, in a commitment to prevent their extinction. Since 2003, with your support, we have been breeding marmots at our Alberta-based conservation centres, contributing over 180 marmots for reintroduction, helping to bolster their wild population to at least 300 individuals.

The Wilder Institute depends on the generous support of its donors to ensure the continuity of this important work, so that the Vancouver Island marmot can persist for generations to come.

Scroll down to learn about the lives of marmots living under human care at the Wilder Institute!

October & November: Heading to Bed

Each fall, Vancouver Island marmots enter a period of hibernation, characterized by consecutive periods of deep torpor throughout the winter. During this state, a marmot’s heart rate can drop from its usual 110-200 beats per minute to a mere three to four beats per minute, a drastic reduction aimed at conserving precious energy.

To ensure marmots under our care are ready for hibernation, we begin the process in mid- September. They are brought into their indoor habitat, where their diet undergoes a gradual shift, mirroring the changing food availability in the wild. Foods like lettuce and carrots are tapered off, resembling the natural seasonal decline in vegetation. However, they always have access to pelleted food until they start hibernation.

Simultaneously, the temperature within the habitat is lowered to reach the optimal hibernating temperature of approximately 5-8°C, which is typically achieved by late October. They are considered to have entered hibernation after three consecutive days of inactivity.

December, January & February: Hibernation Haven

Throughout the hibernation period, our Animal Care, Health and Welfare team conducts monthly checks starting in November. Monthly hibernation checks allow the team to assess the health and state of hibernation in the marmots but also minimize interactions during this essential time of rest.

 

March & April: Spring Awakenings

To maximize the success of our Vancouver Island marmot conservation breeding program, the Animal Care, Health and Welfare team strategically pairs marmots based on recommendations made by the studbook keeper. The studbook keeper tracks the pedigree, age distribution and reproductive status of Vancouver Island marmots across the breeding centres at the Marmot Recovery Foundation, Toronto Zoo and our facility to help preserve genetic diversity and support species management. If genetic analyses indicate that a particular pair of marmots would be the best match, genetically speaking, then the team works to make that match happen. To accomplish this, the team will place marmots together during the late stages of hibernation so that marmots wake up together, increasing their chances of choosing to mate with the prescribed match.

Marmots under our care will usually hibernate until mid-March, when they begin to wake up. Once the Animal Care team has documented three days of consecutive activity, they will begin offering pelleted food. Once awake, the marmots will begin breeding, a season which usually continues into April.

May: New Lives and First Peeks

About 30 days after the marmots wake up, the Animal Care team begins listening for the squeaks of marmot pups. Around this time, once temperatures consistently stay above freezing, the marmots are given access to their outdoor habitats, where constructed burrows with natural substrates await. These outdoor burrows allow the marmots to engage in their natural digging and burrowing behaviors. Sometimes, the marmots even move their pups into these outside burrows, making early pup counts a bit of a challenge!

In May, the Animal Care team also starts offering fresh produce like lettuce and carrots for the marmots to enjoy. 

 

 

 

 

June, July & August: Growing Up and Growing Strong

The first week of June is an exciting time for the Animal Care team as they begin nest box checks to count the new marmot pups in each litter. They aim to do this when the pups are around two to three weeks old, and before they start exploring the habitats outside their nest boxes. If the adult marmots have already moved the pups outside, the team will need to wait until early June, when the pups begin emerging from their burrows, to get an accurate count.

In 2024, we welcomed 17 Vancouver Island marmot pups across five different litters at the Archibald Biodiversity Centre. This year, each pup was named after a Vancouver Island waterbody, celebrating the island’s natural beauty and diverse water features—channels, waterfalls, lakes, inlets, and rivers. The names include ‘Alberni’, ‘Toba’, ‘Haro’, ‘Sutil’, ‘Tahsis’, ‘Clio’, ‘Sarita’, ‘Kammat’, ‘Sombrio’, ‘Myra’, ‘Della’, ‘Bowen’, ‘Fossli’, ‘Burrard’, ‘Clayo’, ‘Trin’, and ‘Silah’.

Throughout July and August, the marmot pups will explore their habitats, learn from their parents, and grow! Alongside their regular food, they are also offered smaller amounts of dry or fresh alfalfa, willow and aspen branches, and non-toxic flowers like dandelions.

July marks the time when our partners at the Marmot Recovery Foundation release yearling marmots born under human care into the wild. This year, they released 19 marmots born at the Wilder Institute, including one named ‘Ophis’.

July is also a collaborative month for breeding partners, who meet to discuss updates on breeding and field research. The studbook keeper then uses this information to make recommendations for future breeding and animal transfers.

 

 

An adult marmot and pups enjoying their outside habitat.

 

September: Off They Go!

Pups born at the Wilder Institute will stay with their dam and sire until they are transferred to the Tony Barret Mt. Washington Marmot Recovery Centre on Vancouver Island operated by the Marmot Recovery Foundation. Prior to their leaving our care, pups will receive a health exam. During this exam, the Wilder Institute’s Animal Care, Health & Welfare team determine the sex of each pup, check their body condition and overall health, and take various standard measurements like weight and body measurements. Blood samples are collected to evaluate overall health and organ function, and hair and tissue samples are collected for genetic analysis.

All marmot pups and adults five years or older also receive an electrocardiogram (EKG) to check for a healthy heart rhythm, with a follow-up ultrasound of their heart (echocardiogram) if any abnormalities were detected on exam or EKG. Additionally, each pup will receive a microchip between the shoulders so that the animals can be easily identified. These exams and processes are key in ensuring that marmots, which will eventually be released into the wild, are in good health!

This year, we waved goodbye to 17 pups and two adult females as they made their way to Vancouver Island. The females were moved as part of a breeding recommendation. We also welcomed five marmots this year – two pairs from the Marmot Recovery Foundation and a single male from the Toronto Zoo. The newly arrived marmots will go through a quarantine period before being integrated into our breeding group.

 

 

Thank You For Supporting Wildlife Conservation!

With your generosity, we can continue to support the recovery of this iconic, and uniquely Canadian species. Thank you!