14 pups of Canada's most endangered mammal born at the Wilder Institute

It’s a big day at the Wilder Institute as it welcomed 14 pups of Canada’s most endangered mammal, the Vancouver Island marmot.

The marmots were born at the Wilder Institute’s new conservation breeding and research facility, the Archibald Biodiversity Centre.

You probably already guessed this, but the Vancouver Island marmot is unique to Canada as they are found in, shockingly, Vancouver Island.

To celebrate their Canadian heritage, the Wilder Institute is naming this litter of pups after their Alberta home with names such as “Namaka” and “Tyrrell” after Alberta’s Royal Tyrrell Museum.

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The Wilder Institute says it has been supporting the conservation of these adorable animals since 1998 when their total population dipped to 70.

The institute transfers marmot pups born in Alberta over to their partners in British Columbia at the Marmot Recovery Foundation, who will then release them to the wild or keep them to continue the breeding program.

This year The Wilder Institute was able to provide new features like an extended underground curtain in their outdoor habitat making it more natural for them. That does mean there are more places to hide so there may be some surprise pups that can boost that number up from 14.

The new features also include fully soundproofed walls and elevated mounds letting the marmots lounge around.

The Wilder Institute is one of three facilities breeding Vancouver Island marmots in addition to the Toronto Zoo and the Tony Barrett Mt. Washington Marmot Recovery Centre.