When conservationists tracking the endangered Vancouver Island marmot checked their wildlife cameras this fall, they did double, and even triple takes at the numbers they were seeing.
“This is a lot more marmots, and that’s certainly a magical moment,” said Adam Taylor, executive director of the Marmot Recovery Foundation.
According to the Marmot Recovery Foundation, a record 427 of the small mammals were counted in Fall 2025, ahead of their entering hibernation in mid-November.
That population is a major milestone for recovery efforts, since just 22 Vancouver Island marmots were left in the wild in 2003. The species was brought back from the brink of extinction with the concentrated efforts of the Marmot Recovery Foundation breeding and introducing Vancouver Island marmots back to the wild.
“It’s just an incredible turnaround from where we started. This is more marmots than we have ever counted before,” said Taylor.
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The foundation’s work is a true grass roots effort, with the conservation and breeding program on Mount Washington and supplemental food for the marmots, entirely funded by community donations.
“This species would be extinct. There’s just no question,” said Taylor.
According to Taylor, in 2024, researchers recorded 381 marmots. Taylor said females typically breed every two years, so researchers didn’t expect to see an increase in marmots in 2025. Yet the female marmots surprised them.
“We had a lot of pups in 2024. Thought this would be a down year. We are thrilled that the marmots proved us wrong. They had over 100 pups again this year, and the population increased by another 46 marmots,” said Taylor.
According to the Marmot Recovery Foundation, the species isn’t healthy enough yet to stop recovery efforts. Yet this baby boom is growing confidence that the uniquely Vancouver Island mammal is returning to the wild for good.