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10h ago

Fat Marmot Week Launches to Raise Money After Record Winter Die-Off

Researchers are using a public bracket vote to explain how low snowpack likely drove the largest marmot winter mortality in six decades and to shore up funding for continued study.

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Overview

  • RMBL launched Fat Marmot Week, which opened Aug. 24, and public voting runs through Aug. 28 with a winner to be announced on Aug. 29.
  • Researchers with the RMBL Marmot Project reported that only 60 of 160 individually monitored yellow-bellied marmots survived last winter, the largest die-off in the roughly 60-year study.
  • Scientists say low and erratic snowpack likely removed insulating cover from burrows, forcing hibernating marmots to burn more energy and increasing exposure to cold and predators.
  • The online tournament features eight named marmots identified with non-toxic fur dye and is designed to teach the public about marmot fattening for hibernation while soliciting donations.
  • RMBL has used playful fundraising tactics this year, including an OnlyMarms account that raised about $6,000 and outside supporters who funneled roughly $100,000 in value via a marmot-themed cryptocurrency, efforts that aim to keep long-term monitoring and climate research going.