“Sudden death of Quebec’s Fred la marmotte casts a shadow on Groundhog Day” https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/fred-la-marmotte-dies-1.6734368
Fred la Marmotte, Canada’s Punxsatawney Phil, was found dead overnight Thursday, hours before he had been expected to predict whether it would be an early or late spring.
The organizer of the event said he found the lifeless animal overnight when he tried to wake him. He said he had “no vital signs” and figures Fred passed away in late fall or early December, during hibernation, at the age of nine. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/fred-la-marmotte-dies-1.6734368
Eideard 
“Sudden death of Quebec’s Fred la marmotte casts a shadow on Groundhog Day” https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/fred-la-marmotte-dies-1.6734368
Fred la Marmotte, Canada’s Punxsatawney Phil, was found dead overnight Thursday, hours before he had been expected to predict whether it would be an early or late spring.
The organizer of the event said he found the lifeless animal overnight when he tried to wake him. He said he had “no vital signs” and figures Fred passed away in late fall or early December, during hibernation, at the age of nine. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/fred-la-marmotte-dies-1.6734368
Spoiler: although similar in appearance marmots and groundhogs are different animals https://a-z-animals.com/blog/marmot-vs-groundhog-6-differences-explained/