Mountain View - Endangered Vancouver Island Marmot

News Highlights

October 11, 2008

Northern Spotted Owl Chick

We are very excited and pleased to announce that Mountain View Conservation Society has been successful in the hatching and rearing of a Northern Spotted Owl! The female owlet was born on May 28, 2008.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE details on this critical program

October 2, 2008

Mountain View Conservation Society Receives Honors

At the Annual CAZA (Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums) in Granby Quebec on October 2, 2008, we received 2 prestigious awards.

The first was the Conservation Award which recognized our exceptional work with the Northern Spotted Owl.

The second, was Caza’s Outstanding Achievement award for our on-going work with the Oregon Spotted Frog.

CLICK HERE FOR the lastest stories

September 07, 2008

In July, three Mountain View staff traveled to Vancouver Island on to visit the Mount Washington marmot facility. In addition to having an opportunity to exchange information with their colleges, our staff had a very unique day.

CLICK HERE to read our Head Marmot Keeper Marguerite’s account of their visit.

September 07, 2008

Year of the Frog

We’ve been very busy with our Spotted Frog Program this year.

In May, government biologists came to Mountain View to speak with our staff and volunteers about the work being done and the great need to protect this very valuable species. While they were here, they weighed, measured and tagged those frogs that were too small to release last fall.
This month they will be back for another week to measure, weigh and tag the frogs raised this year, prior to their release into native habitats later in the fall.
We are also in the process of building a large frog habitat complete with native plants, where our tadpoles will live and grow every year, until they are ready to be released into the wild. We expect this new habitat to be fully operational in 2010.

September 07, 2008

Mountain View Gift Shop has unique Snare Art

Wire snares used in illegal poaching, are one of the major threats facing African Hunting Dogs. The Anti-Poaching team of the Painted Dog Project in Zimbabwe, collects the snares and gives them to nearby Iganyana Arts Centre. There, local skilled artisans fashion them into remarkable works of art. Mountain View is proud to offer these pieces for sale to the public. A portion of all proceeds goes back to Zimbabwe to help raise awareness as well as funds, to further support anti-poaching efforts.

To see Snare Art click on the "Shop" tab above.

September 07, 2008

New Species

What’s tiny, brown and hard to see? A Pygmy Slow Loris! Measuring 18-21 cm and weighing approximately 1 lb, these remarkable little creatures now call Mountain View home. When curled up in a ball, they are so small that our Manager, Vince says they can be hard to see. “When they first arrived and I looked in their container filled with bedding material, I didn’t think anything else was in there!” Mountain View is now actively involved in a breeding program for these wonderful animals.

SEARCHING for a unique gift for SOMEONE special?

Whatever the event, birthday or graduation, our animals are hoping you’ll include them. We make it easy to “adopt” an endangered species.

CLICK HERE to link to our adoption page

BRINGING BACK THE VANCOUVER ISLAND MARMOTS

Vancouver Island Marmots are considered to be one of the most endangered species of mammal in North America. They are native only to Vancouver Island and reside on mountains within the central range on the island. Marmots live in subalpine meadows and avalanche bowls. Mount Washington, north of Nanaimo, has a large facility that serves as a breeding centre and holding facility for animals prior to their release.

Mountain View sent 4 marmots to the Mt. Washington facility in 2006 for release. In 2007, we sent 7 marmots to the facility and 37 marmots where released in subalpine meadows. Two new sites further north saw marmots for the first time in decades, as the team released marmots in Strathcona Provincial Park and Mount Cain. To date, Mount Cain is now the most northern site with marmots.

Marmots at Mountain View are fed pellets, leaf-eater biscuits that are high in nutrients as well as fresh produce such as carrots, yams, broccoli and spinach. They eat the most in late August as they prepare for hibernation. The average life expectancy of marmots is 10-12 years. From 20 animals in the wild in 1998 to approximately 90 in 2007 plus another 162 in captivity, we are making a difference in re-establishing this little rodent. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE RECOVERY PROGRAM

Learn more about marmots on our facts page click here

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