Abstract

YouTube is an online video sharing platform attracting billions of users from global audiences. Videos containing wildlife are a popular subject, with such content being a valuable tool for educating on wildlife initiatives and having the potential to make a meaningful impact on future conservation. Here we examine the YouTube channel BraveWilderness. This channel has uploaded 662 videos and recently surpassed 4 billion views for their wildlife-centric and conservation-themed content. BraveWilderness shows diverse biodiversity from a multitude of habitats, and often highlights under-represented taxa. Successful videos, such as those that go viral, can be examined to understand what images and messages resonate with a wide audience, thereby informing conservation practitioners on future outreach efforts. As internet use continues to expand, and the need for content increases, scientists can benefit from participating with and directly contributing to entertaining and educational digital media efforts beyond traditional means of scientific communication.