Scientists behind one of the world's longest-running studies of individually identified mammals have turned to OnlyFans after shrinking research budgets threatened their 64-year investigation into yellow-bellied marmots.
The University of California, Los Angeles-led team launched 'OnlyMarms' from the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory near Crested Butte, Colorado, where researchers have continuously tracked marmot populations since 1962. The account offers footage of the animals to attract donations for supplies and fieldwork as conventional funding becomes harder to secure.
Marmots Become Unlikely OnlyFans Stars
Despite the platform's adult-content reputation, the marmots are keeping things safe for work. Videos show the cat-sized ground squirrels playing, digging, gathering plants and interacting around their burrows, while an occasional fight pushes the content from G-rated to PG.
Professor Daniel Blumstein, the UCLA evolutionary biologist who has managed the project since 2001, said the idea emerged while he was waiting for the animals to become active. Announcing the page on Instagram on 17 June 2026, the project said: 'The state of funding is so bad we are turning to OnlyFans.'
The page reportedly attracted 735 visits and 44 fans during its first month, but it has not yet become a major income stream. Subscriptions are free, with supporters encouraged to leave tips, while OnlyFans retains 20 per cent of creator earnings before taxes.
'We're trying this out of frustration,' Blumstein said of the difficult funding environment. He acknowledged that the account could help cover supplies and smaller expenses but would be unable to replace the federal support that has historically sustained scientific discovery in the US.
Why 64 Years Of Data Matter
The marmot project was established by University of Kansas zoologist Kenneth Armitage in 1962, before Blumstein assumed day-to-day leadership nearly four decades later. It is considered the second-oldest continuous study of individually marked wild mammals, behind Jane Goodall's long-running chimpanzee research in Tanzania.
Researchers use the extensive database to examine population changes, reproduction, social relationships, alarm calls, predator responses, stress, longevity and the effects of climate change. While many ecological studies last only two or three years, marmots can survive for up to 16 years in the wild, making decades of observation particularly valuable.
The project's longevity allows scientists to identify slow environmental changes that shorter studies may miss. Its researchers have produced a substantial body of academic work, with the project reporting an h-index of 79 and an i-10 index of 250 as of July 2026.
Blumstein said the funds raised would help continue research documenting how marmots respond to climate change. Graduate researcher Emily Renkey added that close-up camera footage could also teach the public about animal social behaviour that is often difficult to observe in person.
Funding Cuts Push Scientists Online
The OnlyMarms experiment comes amid widespread disruption to US science funding. More than 7,800 National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation grants were cancelled or suspended during 2025, while the number of new NSF grants fell 25 per cent compared with the previous decade's average.
The NSF says it has terminated awards that no longer match its programme goals or agency priorities, including projects involving environmental justice, diversity initiatives and misinformation research. The agency has also stated that such terminations are final and cannot be appealed.
OnlyMarms is now part of a wider outreach push that includes educational videos and a 'Fat Marmot Week' contest inspired by Alaska's viral Fat Bear Week. For the scientists, the playful branding carries a serious purpose: preserving a research record that has followed generations of animals through more than six decades of environmental change.
