Demand Protection for the Vancouver Island Marmot

The Vancouver Island Marmot The ICUN Red List lists the Vancouver Island Marmot as Critically Endangered, based on its 2004 assessment. Even with introductions into suitable habitats, only 30-35 individuals are present in the wild. The captive population is scattered in various Canadian zoos, but even if those individuals are used for recovery in the wild, the genetic variation within the species is still decreasing. That can lead to a situation similar to the African Cheetah, which after centuries of "genetic depression" from interbreeding between fewer and fewer individuals, could effectively be wiped out by disease or significant environmental variation.

The major factor preventing these rodents from making a comeback in the wild is predation. Wolves, cougars, and golden eagles, are the three big predators that contribute to exert pressure on the Vancouver Island Marmot population. While predation is natural, it is a threat due to the low population of marmots that has resulted from habitat loss and degradation. The natural sub-alpine meadows that these marmots rely upon have largely been affected by human activities, and the loss of those habitats has affected the marmots much more than other wildlife. Although forest clear-cutting forest actually creates suitable habitat for the Vancouver Island Marmot, it is short-lived. Once the forest regeneration process begins, the marmots are forced out to look for suitable treeless meadow habitats again. M.vancouverensis will disappear if nothing is done and they are at high risk of extinction. They are listed as Endangered under Schedule 1 of Canada's Species at Risk Act (SARA) and therefore receive full protection from harm on federal lands. However the major problem at hand is that their suitable habitat is extremely limited and they are range-restricted.

Recovery projects for this species include captive-breeding and release, in which marmots are captured, allowed to reproduce in captivity, and later reintroduced in the wild. The question of genetic variation and inbreeding poses the problem of greater risks of genetic depression, disease and adaptability to changing environmental conditions.

Other recovery-related projects for this species include research on marmot demographics, causes of mortality and behavioural responses to predation. The Vancouver Island Marmot is protected under several organizations such as Wildlife Act in B.C, Endangered Species Act in the US, and the Ecological Reserve Act in B.C.