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.