Growing up, we had thousands of ground hogs. Since around 2000 they declined. The last few I saw were wobbling around, unable to stand. I shot one and called the government. Maybe they wanted to examine it. They weren't interested. I have seen, maybe two or three on the property in a decade.
No one cares! They were a nuisance, but in a sense, I do miss them. I see them as possibly being the canary in the coal mine.
At the very, very least, if push came to shove, they would have made an excellent and available food source. I never tried it, but they are supposed to be excellent eating. But alas, they are gone. At least here.