Kelowna 
Van Isle Violet, a Vancouver Island marmot residing at the Tony Barrett Mount Washington Marmot Recovery Centre, saw her shadow this morning and predicted six more weeks of winter via a unique ceremony tailored to the species’ needs, avoiding the traditional fanfare.
Vancouver Island marmot/Credit: Province of British Columbia/Flickr
This 3-year-old female marmot, part of a critical captive breeding program, has accurately predicted extended winter seasons in 2022 and 2023.
Last year too, Violet predicted a long winter.
Violet’s prognostications highlight her unique “side hustle” and underscore the critical conservation efforts undertaken to safeguard the Vancouver Island marmot, Marmota Vancouverensis.
Approaching adulthood, she awaits her first litter to help restore the endangered Vancouver Island marmot population through their release into the wild.
Vancouver Island marmots, British Columbia’s only endemic mammal, have historical significance to First Nations and are currently considered one of the world’s rarest mammals. Due to concerted recovery efforts, their numbers have risen from under 30 in 2003 to over 250 across more than 20 mountains by 2021.
Despite the increase, the species remains classified as critically endangered, with fluctuations in population numbers influenced by various factors.
