At a glance
- IUCN category
- EN · Endangered
- Animal group
- Mammals
- Population trend
- Increasing
- FaunaHub record reviewed
- Checked against IUCN
- Sources disagree — IUCN's 2017 global assessment says Critically EndangeredChecked 2026-10-09 against IUCN's Red List export published 2026-07-28 · assessment
Conservation overview
The Vancouver Island marmot is one of the rarest mammals in the world, found only on Vancouver Island. It is assessed as Endangered.
It was reduced to a handful of animals before captive breeding and release.
Range & habitat
Mountains of Vancouver Island, Canada.
Major threats
Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.
- A tiny population
- Predation
- Habitat change and past logging effects
Why it matters
A Canadian endemic rescued from the brink by captive breeding, the Vancouver Island marmot is a landmark recovery effort for a mountain mammal.
Sources
Sources for Vancouver Island Marmot
- IUCN Red List — look up Vancouver Island Marmot (authoritative status)
- Animal Diversity Web
Frequently Asked Questions
How rare is the Vancouver Island marmot?
It is among the rarest mammals on Earth; the wild population fell to only a few dozen animals before an intensive captive-breeding and release programme began rebuilding it.
Why is the Vancouver Island marmot Endangered?
Published assessments cite its tiny population, predation, and habitat change including the effects of past logging. See the IUCN Red List.