this post was submitted on 25 Jun 2024
12 points (100.0% liked)

British Columbia

1357 readers
66 users here now

News, highlights and more relating to this great province!

founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
 

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/23848745

The wild population of Canada's most endangered mammal, the Vancouver Island marmot, is anticipated to exceed 350 by the end of the summer thanks to the Marmot Recovery Foundation's captive-breeding efforts.

It may not seem like many, but 21 years ago the wild population had dropped to a count of fewer than two dozen.

top 1 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago

One by one, the cages are joined to a removable plywood tunnel that connects to the hutch. If a marmot won’t leave its cage, someone tickles its feet. “They don’t like that very much,” Taylor says. “But some of them are really stubborn and they won’t go in even with the feet tickling. So, you have to take the ultimate irritation measure, which is to blow on their bums … that always seems to convince them.”
Bringing the endangered Vancouver Island marmot back from the brink