Our latest Field Update is out, and the big news is that there are at least 86 wild-born pups this year! For the record, that is the largest number of wild-born pups that have ever been recorded in a single year for this critically endangered species.

These pups are spread across 17 colonies and 32 litters. That means about half the current Vancouver Island marmot colonies have litters, and many have multiple litters.

These pups have a long journey ahead of them, and the first step will be to add enough body weight on to survive hibernation. While the mountain grasses and forbs are still quite lush, they do not have a lot of time. Snow can arrive as early as September or October in high elevation colonies.

We will continue to monitor colonies this fall. Maybe, just maybe, we will get to see a few more!