CONCLUSION:
It is likely that viewers will never directly interact with an animal
highlighted in BraveWilderness videos. It is therefore important to
highlight not only interesting morphology, but also the significance of
the creature in its ecosystem. Framing is important in forming a
meaningful conservation message (Kusmanoff et al., 2020), especially for
video content in which an animal’s predatory behavior is highlighted.
Many threatened species have a low profile with regard to public
awareness (Kidd et al., 2018) and online presence, especially for many
amphibians and invertebrates (Llewellyn and Rose 2021). YouTube acts as
a method to counteract these deficiencies, by rapidly spreading
educational and important content on the biodiversity of the planet.
Due to the growth in follower number and video popularity (Figure 1), we
suggest that videos on BraveWilderness are an important component of
current and future conservation activities by showing wildlife to a
diverse audience. Uploaded videos focus on the importance of wildlife,
no matter how ‘scary’ or dangerous they may seem. This is done by
discussing conservation efforts, the importance of the species and its
vulnerability in an ecosystem, by clearly stating that animals were not
harmed, and by showing their release back into the wild (even after a
sting). As more people are made aware of an organism, the more likely
they will be to care about it and so a video need not directly mention
conservation efforts to be a useful conservation tool.
A unique morphology or behavior can be enough to gain interest in
conservation (Kidd et al., 2018); this interest also links to popularity
in YouTube videos. A large portfolio such as BraveWilderness can be used
by conservation practitioners to determine how a particular organism
should be highlighted to elicit a positive public response, such that
further outreach activities around a specific creature would increase
conservation awareness and therefore its protection. We conclude that
academics, conservation practitioners, and policy makers alike can
benefit directly from observing successful social media efforts. It is
also beneficial for academics to directly interact with and contribute
to social media outlets, with YouTube being an excellent platform for
highlighting conservation to a large and increasingly diverse global
audience.