Sure the Vancouver Island marmot is cute.

But that hasnB次元官网网址檛 helped the little guy much in the singles scene.

Neither has the new wardrobe, those daily visits to the gym, nor the constant scouring of the internet for the latest dating tips from e-Harmony and GQ.

But what has worked for Vancouver IslandB次元官网网址檚 fuzziest icon in his bid to breed like a rabbit is the help and support of his own personal love doctor, Axel Moehrenschlager.

To be clear, Moehrenschlager is a who politely but firmly rejects the love doctor title, and generally leaves the hands-on work with the pint-sized rodents to the other zookeepers and scientists at the Devonian Wildlife Conservation Centre.

But as the zooB次元官网网址檚 director of conservation and science, Moehrenschlager is ultimately responsible for 13 marmot yearlings that have been n recent weeks as part of an ongoing B次元官网网址� and highly successful B次元官网网址� captive breeding program.

The cuddly-looking little rock-dweller may inspire bad jokes from writers and delighted squees from casual observers, but saving CanadaB次元官网网址檚 most endangered mammal is serious business.

And yes, Moehrenschlager is proud of their progress.

B次元官网网址淚 think it is one of the most dramatic recoveries for an endangered species in such a relatively short time anywhere,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 think the primary reason why itB次元官网网址檚 been working well is the level of co-operation between the different agencies. ItB次元官网网址檚 been exceptionally good.B次元官网网址�

The Calgary Zoo got its first Vancouver Island marmots in the late 1990s when the population was one hungry wolf pack away from extinction. At the instigation of the , spurred by a small group of Island conservationists, a handful of marmots was taken from the wild and paired up under the watchful eyes of scientists there and in a few other locations.

The programB次元官网网址檚 initial years were about establishing a sustainable colony at the DWCC, an off-site branch of the zoo outside the public eye that is dedicated strictly to species rehabilitation. There, matchmakers discovered some concrete trends. The most successful breeders were younger, but not the youngest. They had previously had a pup. And they had been paired with their partner for more than a year.

Vancouver Island marmots are not indiscriminate breeders. They are social animals and will stray, but are most successful with a steady partner. Scientists work hard to find compatible pairings and bypass a marmot tendency to mate with cousins and siblings. Genetic diversity is important for the health of the species, and difficult to create when you are dealing with only about two-dozen prospective parents.

The number of pups delivered in Calgary varies from year to year; four have arrived in 2016. Once they are a year old, the zoo turns them over to the . They are quarantined for a while at a facility on Mount Washington to ensure their health, given a surgically implanted tracker, then released B次元官网网址� hopefully to find mates and add to a growing number of pups born in the wild.

Cheyney Jackson, the field coordinator for the foundation, said the knowledge and support of the zoo and other partners in the captive breeding program has been crucial to the survival of the species.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been huge,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭he recovery of the species to date is largely due to them.B次元官网网址�

When the first breeding program pups were introduced back into the wild in 2003, there were about 30 marmots living on Vancouver Island. That number is now estimated at about 300.

The goal is ultimately to get the species downgraded from the national B次元官网网址渆ndangeredB次元官网网址� list to the list of B次元官网网址渟pecial concern,B次元官网网址� which basically means it will have reached a point of self-sustainability.

But there is still a long way to go. Initial estimates pegged the B次元官网网址渟afeB次元官网网址� population at 600. But in the wake of further study, and given the number of variable factors involved, the rehabilitation team is hesitant to adopt any figure at all. Instead, a resulted in a new focus on trends and making sure the wild population is large enough to rebound from the unexpected. This spring, for example, 36 members of the wild colonies of Strathcona Park failed to survive the winter.

B次元官网网址淧icking a number was done a long time ago,B次元官网网址� Moehrenschlager (above) said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 just so hard to know. One of the things about ecology in general and conservation in particular is that it is so unpredictable.B次元官网网址�

Similar concerns have led the foundation to consider reversing a 2011 decision to stop seeding the Nanaimo Lakes region to observe how the population there reacted. Numbers thus far have been relatively stable, but remain vulnerable.

B次元官网网址淭hey are small enough numbers that one predator moving in can devastate a colony,B次元官网网址� Jackson said. B次元官网网址淚 suspect the population might not be enough.B次元官网网址�

Unique to Vancouver Island, the marmot is native to the open spaces of the high country along the islandB次元官网网址檚 central and south-central spine. The Marmot Recovery Foundation has nurtured growing populations in two pockets: Nanaimo Lakes, which basically comprises an area between Cowichan Lake and Mount Arrowsmith; and Strathcona, spanning both sides of Buttle Lake and including Mount Washington.

Population numbers had declined almost to the point of no return in the '90s before observers were fully aware of the severity of the situation. Even after two decades of study, . Increased predation and habitat change are certainly factors, but how and why is something they are still struggling to grasp, even as they continue to take steps to address the issue.

B次元官网网址淚 see it as analogous to emergency room medicine. You start treatment of some sort without fully understanding the situation. The alternative is basically letting your patient die on the table,B次元官网网址� Moehrenschlager said.

In some ways, the IslandB次元官网网址檚 marmot recovery effort may have become a victim of its own success. As the wild population has increased, the numbers in captivity have dwindled from 177 to 43. The main reason is reduced funding coming in from both government and private sources to maintain the captive breeders and transition their offspring.

Where there were once four facilities breeding marmots, there is now just Calgary and a smaller program at the . As a result, the foundation is looking to find more partners and new sources of cash.

B次元官网网址淲e are definitely trying to reinvigorate the captive breeding program,B次元官网网址� Jackson said.

In addition to his duties in Calgary, Moehrenschlager serves as the chairman of the of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the worldB次元官网网址檚 premier anti-extinction organization. He said Canada, as a land rich in both resources and space, needs to use its assets to set a conservation example for the rest of the world. And he believes continued support for the Vancouver Island marmot makes a necessary statement.

B次元官网网址淥ne of the things I think about is that if we as Canadians let uniquely Canadian species become extinctB次元官网网址�we have no credibility or authority to say anything about the species of other countries.

B次元官网网址淲e need to be leaders.B次元官网网址�

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