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ScienceColorado marmot researchers launch OnlyFans page amid funding crisis
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Researchers at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) in Colorado, who have studied yellow-bellied marmots since 1962, have launched an OnlyFans page called 'OnlyMarms' to raise funding amid a challenging federal funding environment. The page, announced on Instagram, offers 'uncensored marmot content' that is almost entirely G-rated, featuring marmots playing, digging, and being cute. Professor Daniel Blumstein of UCLA stated the effort stems from frustration with budget cuts, though it has only raised a few hundred dollars so far—enough for bait. The lab is also promoting 'Fat Marmot Week' starting August 24, where people can vote for the fattest marmot. The initiative has garnered media attention but is not expected to replace traditional federal funding.
Source report
Researchers at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) are trying an unconventional new way to raise funding for their work—and their plan is turning heads.
Since 1962, scientists at a field station near Crested Butte, Colorado, have been studying yellow-bellied marmots, a species of ground squirrel. Despite possessing 65 years of data on the furry creatures, they now face the risk of losing funding.
This predicament inspired project leaders to boldly go where few biologists have gone before: OnlyFans, the social media platform popular with creators of all kinds, especially those who produce adult content.
The name of the page? OnlyMarms, of course.
"Uncensored Marmot Content"
RMBL officially announced their venture on Instagram last month, promoting what they described as "uncensored marmot content!"
"We're trying this out of frustration with an extremely challenging funding environment," Daniel Blumstein, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UCLA, told LiveScience. "If we're lucky, it can help raise money for supplies and some expenses. But unless we are very lucky, it won't replace the federal funding that has driven discovery in the U.S. since the 1950s."
What Subscribers Can Expect
Potential subscribers hoping for content that brings out their animal side will likely be disappointed, Blumstein admitted.
"[It's] almost all G-rated content of marmots playing, being cute, digging, bringing plants to their burrows…normal routine stuff for marmots," Blumstein said. "The occasional scuffle makes it PG-rated."
Emily Renkey, a first-year master's student in Blumstein's lab, is responsible for posting the best marmot action.
"Sometimes I'm just posting the videos I think will get the most 'aws,'" she told SFGate. "But my favourite is when I find footage of a particular behaviour, and I can use that to educate people."
Modest Returns So Far
Although the OnlyMarms page is capturing media attention, it has so far raised only a few hundred dollars—enough to purchase bait to lure marmots to places where researchers can study them up close.
Not Putting All Eggs in One Basket
Fortunately, RMBL is not relying solely on OnlyFans. The lab is also seeking attention and funds through events such as Fat Marmot Week, which officially begins on 24 August. The event will allow people to vote for the fattest marmot near Crested Butte.
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Marmot Researchers Launch OnlyFans Page to Raise Funds Amid Funding Crisis