iN VIDEO: Special feeding tubes help B.C.’s endangered marmots recover

This time of year is especially difficult for B.C.'s endangered marmot.

"After six long months of hibernation, the marmots have emerged from their burrows. Their bodies are thinner; all of their body fat has been used to sustain them during the winter. Their digestive systems need to be restarted, even as most food is still covered in snow in the alpine meadows where the marmots live," according to the Vancouver Island Marmot Recovery Foundation, in a Facebook post.

So these little critters, found at Mt. Washington on Vancouver Island, are getting a helping hand.

Feeders have been installed with leaf biscuits to give the marmots an energy boost as they emerge from hibernation. This time of year is especially difficult for female marmots, as they mate and give birth within a month of waking up.

"We have even seen that marmots that have access to feeders produce young more often. That helps the whole species recover faster," according to the foundation. 

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