‘Humongous’ marmot crowned winner in inaugural Fat Marmot Week contest
Dawn is champion after public voting of eight yellow-bellied marmots as they fattened up for long winter ahead A marmot contest started by researchers who turned to OnlyFans to help save a decades-long research project has chosen its champion in its inaugural Fat Marmot Week. Dawn was crowned the winner of Fat Marmot Week 2026 after securing back-to-back victories in both the mass-gain and…
The inaugural Fat Marmot Week contest crowned Dawn, a six-year-old yellow-bellied marmot, as its champion after a week of public voting. Organizers behind the marmot project at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory chose the winner based on back-to-back victories in both mass-gain and popular-vote competitions. Dawn, weighing approximately 6kg (13.2lb), was the heaviest marmot measured by the researchers.
Over 23,000 votes were cast during the competition, inspired by Alaska's popular Fat Bear Week. The marmot project has been struggling to keep its decades-long research alive amid federal science funding cuts. To raise funds, researchers created an OnlyFans account, OnlyMarms, featuring marmot photos and videos. The fundraising effort surpassed $100,000 through subscriptions, donations, and a marmot-themed cryptocurrency.
The annual Fat Marmot Week, held in summer, allows yellow-bellied marmots to double their body weight before hibernating for five months.
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