Charity celebrates milestone as Vancouver Island marmots rebound to 427 in wild

A foundation trying to save a critically endangered species is celebrating a marmot milestone.

The Marmot Recovery Foundation announced on its social media page that the population of the Vancouver Island species has reached a new high of 427 marmots.

When its team first began releasing marmots to the wild in 2003, there were just 22 remaining, and its statement says there was a lot of doubt that the species could be saved.

It says when the group released the first four of the beaver-like animals into the wild 22 years ago, three of them were eaten by cougars within weeks.

The foundation says the following year was better with seven marmots released, and two of them were the first to breed in the wild and survived for more than a decade.

The Vancouver Island marmot is considered one of Canada's most endangered species, and the rodent has five distinct whistles or trills they use, more than any other species.

The group says that while reaching more than 400 Vancouver Island marmots is a milestone, there is still a long way to go for their recovery.

The Marmot Recovery Foundation was founded in 1998 with the goal of saving the animals from extinction through captive breeding, reintroduction and habitat restoration.

Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Becky Bohrer