In an exclusive interview, Katie Adler, the organizer of Fat Marmot Week, discussed the victory of a chubby father marmot known for his affinity for rocks in Gothic, Colo. The event, hosted by the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, featured a dual competition involving a public vote and a weigh-in to determine which marmot gained the most pounds before hibernation season. Dawn emerged triumphant in both categories.
According to Dawn’s online profile, he is recognized for fathering numerous baby marmots and indulging in licking salt and minerals off rocks. His weight nearly doubled this summer, reaching 5.9 kilograms from 2.5, equivalent to around 13 pounds from 5.5. Adler commended Dawn, describing him as a unique marmot with a penchant for rock consumption.
Despite his victory, Dawn now shoulders the responsibility of being the unofficial ambassador for the Marmot Project, a long-standing research initiative facing uncertain funding prospects due to ongoing budget cuts in the U.S.
The Fat Marmot Week was inspired by the renowned Fat Bear Week held in Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve. Similar to bears, marmots engage in hibernation, with Gothic’s yellow-bellied marmot community preparing for an extended winter slumber by accumulating sufficient weight to endure the cold season.
Adler, a UCLA ecology graduate student, is actively involved in the Marmot Project, a multi-generational study of yellow-bellied marmots conducted at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory since 1962. This project, ranking as the world’s second longest-running study on individually marked mammals after Jane Goodall’s chimpanzee research, has examined 5,000 marmots across 12 generations.
The future of the Marmot Project remains uncertain due to the impact of significant funding reductions imposed by the Trump administration on research organizations such as the National Science Foundation. This financial strain has led to a decline in research grants availability, posing challenges for essential research programs like the Marmot Project.
To address these funding challenges, the Marmot Project has initiated innovative public campaigns, including the launch of OnlyMarms on the platform OnlyFans. This unconventional move aims to raise awareness about their research and secure necessary funding to sustain their long-term research endeavors.
Despite successfully raising over $120,000 in donations through these initiatives, the Marmot Project acknowledges that such methods are not sustainable for prolonged research efforts. Therefore, they have launched a petition urging Congress to reconsider the research funding cuts.
Looking ahead, the Marmot Project plans to continue its research activities and organize the next Fat Marmot Week in 2027. Adler hopes that these initiatives will foster greater public appreciation for marmots and their resilience in navigating challenging environmental conditions.