Boulder: A long-running scientific study of marmots in Colorado has found an unusual way to raise money after losing federal funding – by posting family-friendly videos of the animals on OnlyFans. The project is led by Colorado-based biologist Dr. Daniel Blumstein, who said he created an account on the platform, best known for adult-oriented content, as an ‘act of desperation’ after funding cuts threatened the future of the research.
According to United News of Bangladesh, under the name ‘OnlyMarms,’ the account features uncensored but family-friendly footage of marmots running around their natural habitat and emerging from their burrows. The videos have so far raised more than $5,000. After OnlyFans takes its share, about $4,000 will go to the UCLA-affiliated Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Colorado.
The Marmot Project has been running for more than 60 years and is the world’s second-longest study of individually identified mammals, after Jane Goodall’s famous chimpanzee research in Tanzania. The project focuses on yellow-bellied marmots, one of 15 recognized marmot species found across the Northern Hemisphere. Although the animals are not threatened or endangered, researchers say studying them over many years helps scientists understand what causes changes in animal populations.
Blumstein explained that long-term studies are highly valuable but securing federal funding has become increasingly difficult. He does not expect the OnlyMarms account to raise enough money to prevent cuts to the project. However, he said the unusual fundraising effort is helping bring attention to the research.
The idea for OnlyMarms came to Blumstein while he was sitting in a meadow waiting for marmots to emerge from their burrows. He had recently watched the TV show ‘Margot’s Got Money Troubles,’ in which a character creates an OnlyFans account to earn money. Inspired, he thought, ‘Marmots’ got money troubles. Maybe we should do something a little risqu©.’ After discussing the idea with students at his lab, who came up with the name OnlyMarms, one student helped him create the account.
There was an unexpected problem during registration, as OnlyFans required Blumstein to verify his identity by uploading a photo of his driver’s license. The platform initially flagged the account because his identification photo did not match the marmot used as the profile picture. A short exchange with the platform resolved the issue, allowing the researchers to begin posting videos.
The videos show Rocky Mountain marmots in their natural surroundings. Blumstein noted that the animals are less social than some alpine marmots and that female marmots tend to become more irritable as they grow older. One video shows a female marmot chasing a male out of her burrow after he gets too comfortable. Another features a female marmot sitting in the sun, described by researchers as ‘the queen of the town.’ The researchers avoid giving the animals human-like names to prevent introducing bias into their scientific observations, instead using dye markings and labels such as ‘dans_hat,’ ‘open_kite,’ and ‘Citro«n.’
The researchers have also created ‘Fat Marmot Week,’ inspired by the popular Fat Bear Week event. At the end of August, the public will be able to vote for their favorite marmot in a tournament-style competition. Marmots gain weight before winter because they hibernate and need enough stored energy to survive the long, cold season. Blumstein stated that while the competition may be entertaining, the animals’ struggle to build up enough body fat before winter is ultimately a matter of survival.