As we approach #ReversetheRedDay on February 7, we begin our coverage of this important day by shedding light on a number of key conservation science programs that your Toronto Zoo is proud to participate in. Today, we begin with a look at the Vancouver Island marmot (Marmota vancouverensis), a critically endangered species found only on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. It is one of only five land mammals endemic to Canada. In 1997, the Vancouver Island Marmot Recovery Team determined that a conservation breeding and reintroduction program was the only viable solution to save the species from extinction. That year, the Toronto Zoo received six wild-caught marmots, and the program later expanded to include two other institutions, the Calgary Zoo and the Tony Barrett Mount Washington Marmot Breeding Center. In 2004, the population reached a critical level as it was estimated that only 30 individuals remained in the wild. This made the Vancouver Island marmot North America's most ...