Chubby marmots join subscription service after sanctuary faces money trouble

OnlyFans users scrolling for their usual content stumbled upon something unexpected this summer: videos of yellow-bellied marmots popping out of Colorado burrows. There were no thirst traps or filters, just some rodents doing what rodents do. The content was entirely ‘family-friendly’, contrary to what the platform is known for.Some thought it was one of the internet’s strangest jokes, or a cry for help. It turns out it was both.How chubby marmots became influencersMarmots, the chubby ground-dwelling squirrels, turned to the adult platform in an ‘act of desperation’, just like many humans on it. Only, they were put there by a scientist trying to save decades of research from slipping through the cracks.The scientist behind this unusual move is Dr Daniel Blumstein, a Colorado-based biologist who heads one of the world’s longest-running marmot field studies. He turned to the adult platform as the financial future of the research looked bleak after federal funding to universities was cut.Speaking to the BBC, Blumstein said that he made an account on the platform, known for sexually explicit content, and began posting ‘uncensored marmot content’ in ‘an act of desperation’.But, oddly enough, all the marmot videos are ‘family-friendly’. You will find the marmots running around, popping out of their burrows, and doing what rodents usually do. Fans can see daily photos and videos of these cute, chubby rodents on ‘OnlyMarms’ and leave tips to help support the ongoing research.The idea came to him while he was in the meadow waiting for marmots. He had been watching the TV show Margot’s Got Money Troubles, where Elle Fanning’s character starts an OnlyFans account to support herself as a single mother. So he thought, why can’t these cute little marms? “Marmots have got money troubles. Maybe we should do something a little risqué,” he told the broadcaster. And just like that, ‘OnlyMarms’ was born.So far, these marms have generated $5,000. After the platform’s share, the UCLA-affiliated Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Colorado has received about $4,000. Not enough to save everything, but enough to show that researchers cannot be ignored simply by cutting their funding. On a platform full of nudity and sexually explicit material, rodents have helped them make decent money without an iota of indecency.The Marmot ProjectThe Marmot Project is the second-longest study of individually identifiable wild mammals, after Jane Goodall’s study of chimpanzees in Tanzania. The project has been running for more than 60 years, and researchers study the yellow-bellied marmot, one of the 15 recognised species of marmot found in the Northern Hemisphere.As the species is neither threatened nor endangered, researchers can better understand the factors linked to population changes, the lab said. According to Blumstein, such long-term studies are crucial; however, he has been lacking federal support. While researchers know that the OnlyMarms account may not generate enough money to save the project from spending cuts, it will still raise awareness about the importance of their work.