History and current status of the Vancouver Island Marmot (Marmota vancouverensis) captive breeding program [Histoire et statut actuel du programme d’élevage de la marmotte de l’île de Vancouver].

Résumé

During the mid-1980s, the Vancouver Island marmot’s (Marmota vancouverensis) population was estimated at 300–350 individuals and was considered to be stable or increasing; however, beginning in the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s, Vancouver Island marmot numbers demonstrated significant declines, and it became apparent that recovery efforts involving only field manipulation of the wild population would likely not prevent the extinction of this species. The National Recovery Plan for the Vancouver Island Marmot 2000 update (Janz et al. 2000) stated that “few animals exist for reintroductions or other management activities” and that “It is unlikely that wild populations will suddenly rebound of their own accord. Captive breeding and reintroduction present the only chance of increasing populations within a reasonable period of time and minimizing the risk of extinction.” In response to these concerns, the Vancouver Island Marmot Recovery Team initiated a rigorous program of captive breeding to (1) serve as a genetic lifeboat to safeguard Vancouver Island marmots against catastrophic events in the wild, (2) determine appropriate management and husbandry guidelines for the successful captive maintenance and propagation of Vancouver Island marmots, (3) conduct directed research, and (4) provide sufficient numbers of individuals for release and eventual restoration of the wild population. Since its inception in 1997, this program has come to include the participation of three Canadian zoological institutions, the Toronto Zoo, the Calgary Zoo, and the Mountain View Conservation and Breeding Society, and a dedicated marmot facility on Vancouver Island. To date, there has been a total of 95 marmots in captivity, including 54 marmots captured from the wild and 41 born in captivity. There have been 18 mortalities in captivity. As of December 2003, the captive population consisted of 77 surviving marmots and 14 potential breeding pairs. This paper provides a summary of the first seven years of the Vancouver Island captive-breeding program and includes a history of the project, an overview of the marmots’ captive management, and a description of the initial reintroduction of captive Vancouver Island marmots, which occurred in the summer of 2003.