To Fund Marmot Research, Scientists Turn to OnlyFans

UCLA's marmot lab has turned to an unlikely patron: OnlyFans. To plug gaps left by shrinking federal research dollars, ecologist Dan Blumstein and his team launched "OnlyMarms," a subscription page serving up field-camera clips of wild yellow-bellied marmots. But, as the Los Angeles Times reports, viewers should think territorial chases and cautious sniffs at the lens, not adult content. Since late May, the page has drawn about 1,700 fans and $5,000 in tips (roughly $4,000 after platform fees), plus a spinoff "OnlyMarms" memecoin that has funneled tens of thousands more into the long-running project.

Blumstein calls it a lifeline for a 60-year study, while graduate student Emily Renkey tells the Daily Bruin that "OnlyMarms is meeting the moment of our public frustration over what this country funds. It may be symbolic for a lot of people of the lengths researchers have to go in order to fund really important work."