Vancouver Island Marmot
Adult Vancouver Island marmot resting on a boulder.
The Vancouver Island marmot, Marmota vancouverensis, lives in colonies in the subalpine meadows of Vancouver Island and nowhere else in the world. It is the most endangered mammal in Canada and British Columbia’s sole endemic mammal species. The marmot is listed as Endangered under the Species At Risk Act (SARA) in Canada and classified as a Critically Endangered species by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Conservation efforts are ongoing to increase the population in the wild through a breeding program in captivity and research.
If you are interested in helping with the recovery efforts, please visit the Vancouver Island Marmot Recovery Foundation, the Vancouver Island Marmot Recovery Program at the Toronto Zoo and the Calgary Zoo.
Vancouver Island marmot adult and pup touching noses, a form of greeting.
Pup challenging a yearling to a play-fight.
In the photo book Vancouver Island Wildlife, The World’s Rarest Marmot, discover the Vancouver Island marmot, the rarest marmot in the world, through unique photographs taken in its natural habitat by nature and wildlife photographer Catherine Babault, and learn about the conservation efforts undertaken to save this amazing species from extinction.
Catherine also wrote an article with her images for the Spring 2023 Edition of the magazine Nature Sauvage (Québec, Canada) where you can learn about the marmot, her observations in the field and the extensive teamwork behind the recovery of this endangered species.