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Vancouver Island Marmot
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Probably the earliest wildlife were friends of the Wooly Mammoth because we know they existed way back in the ice age, probably after wandering south across the ice-bridge from Asia. The Royal B.C. Museum in Victoria has a great Wooly Mammoth if you have never seen one and as many as 25 mammoth fossil specimens, which were found at the south end of the Island. (the Saanich Peninsula)
Go To Royal B.C.Museum Site
Nowadays, although numerous, the wildlife is a little less exotic. The Raccoon is seen regularly, but the Mountain Lion rarely. There are the Gary, Douglas and Red Squirrels and numerous birds of all discriptions because Vancouver Island is part of the famous "Pacific Flyway". Vancouver Isaland is in fact a favorite spot for bird watchers.
Vancouver Island also supports the Roosevelt Elk, some black bears and the most concentrated population of cougars (are these the Mountain Lions we rarely see?) in north America...I guess they must have been good swimmers and made it from the mainland!
And there are a lot more on the coast. Otters, Stellar and California Sea Lions, Harbor Seals, Orcas (Killer Whales!), Humpback Whales, Gray Whales, Dalls and Harbor Porpoises and a myriad (that's a whole bunch!) of sea birds...and don't forget the Turkey Vulture seen over the Gulf Islands!
Did I mention Eagles?
If you drive north of Campbell River to Port Hardy the chances are you wil see Black Bears by the roadside, and if you live in Victoria you could have bald eagles sitting in your garden.
Don't believe me eh? Have a look at this video from David Naismith in Victoria...and turn up the sound for some original "Vancouver Island" music....enjoy! (3mins and 10 secs)
The island's rivers, lakes and coastal regions are well known for trout, salmon and steelhead, especially by the local Eagles, who also enjoy the "big" trees. Heres a tip...where there is salmon there will be Eagles nearby!
Because Vancouver Island lies in the temperate rain-forest zone, the south and east of the island support large growth Douglas fir, western red cedar, arbutus and such trees as Oregon grape and Salal. the North and wetter western side produces Hemlock, western red cedar, yellow cedar, sitka spruce and white pine, which of course invites logging and the pulp and paper industry.
The logging, the expansion of towns and the devastation by natural predators have all added to the demise of the now endangered, Vancouver Island Marmot.
This marmot is only one of five species confined to Canada, and the only species unique to Vancouver Island, living mostly in the south central area of the island, west of Nanaimo.
In the 1980's there were approximately 300 to 350 of these little creatures but by 1998 there were less than 100 and by 2001 less than 75 in existence, only 25 living in the wild! There had been at least 12 colony extictions during this time and that put the Vancouver Island Marmot on Canadas' most endangered species list, legally protected under the British Columbia Wildlife Act.
The marmot is the largest member of the squirrel family, reaching about 70 cms from nose to tail or about the size of a large house cat. They have a rich chocolate brown coat with white fur on nose, chin, forehead and chest. They live in burrows, in family groups and frequent the alpine meadows and rocky sub-alpine open spaces.
Today there are four recovery centres, located in Langley, British Columbia, just south of the Calgary Zoo, the Toronto Zoo and, the major captive breeding program, at the Tony Barrett Marmot Recovery Centre on Mount Washington, Vancouver Island. The two major program focuses being forestry area protection and a captive breeding program...for controlled release of course!
To find out more about this, to help with funding or to get involved with the "adopt-a-marmot" program.......
Click Here For Marmots
...and the importance of this endangered little Marmot, in the lives of Vancouver Islanders should not be overlooked...I have just finished reading the local newspaper which states..."The campaign to convert MukMuk the sidekick marmot to the 2010 Olympics, into full mascot status got a boost Friday from two powerful individuals. Tourism and Sports Minister....." (courtesy the Vancouver Sun Newspaper)
Yep, the troubled Marmot is ready to hit centre stage! Why not help out with his needed return.
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