How Zoolife Lets Anyone Connect with Wildlife from Home

Where the Connection Began

When the pandemic forced millions of people to stay home, many felt isolated and disconnected. Streaming platforms quickly became a way to restore some of life’s essentials: mental health, nature, and social connection.

But for zoos and their visitors, the challenges went beyond lockdowns. Long before the pandemic, distance, cost, and accessibility limited how people could experience wildlife.

Zoolife was born from humanity's loss of connection to wildlife. Its mission: expand access to wildlife, strengthen human–nature connections, and support well-being.

From Streaming Boom to Wildlife Innovation

By mid-2020, streaming subscriptions had surged past 1 billion worldwide. Zoolife’s team saw an opportunity to reimagine streaming—not just for entertainment, but for wildlife conservation.

Unlike typical livestreams, Zoolife focused on:

• Empathy for animals – respectful, authentic views into their lives.
• Shared experiences – connecting viewers with one another and with zookeepers.

The First Experiment: Twitch and a Baby Giraffe

The idea began on Twitch, where interactive livestreams like “Twitch Plays Pokémon” had already gained massive audiences.

Zoolife partnered with the Toronto Zoo to stream the life of Amani, a newborn giraffe. Viewers around the world watched her grow up in real time.

What made this unique:

• Crowd-controlled cameras – the audience chose what to see.
• Live zookeeper Q&As – experts answered questions directly.
• Support opportunities – viewers could subscribe, donate, and help the zoo.

For many, it was the first chance to have a front-row seat to wildlife, unfiltered and unforgettable.

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Zoolife’s first prototype streaming Amani the giraffe on Twitch

Where the Wildlife Connection Has Gone

After the success of the giraffe livestream on Twitch, Zoolife expanded its vision. Partnering again with the Toronto Zoo, we launched the world’s first interactive virtual wildlife platform on Earth Day, April 22, 2021. Our goal was simple: make wildlife more accessible than ever while supporting conservation on a global scale.

An Interactive Experience

What makes Zoolife different is the level of interactivity:

• Viewers can control the cameras—zooming close enough to see a giraffe’s eyelashes or following gorillas as they explore their habitat.
• Each habitat includes animal cards with names, facts, and behaviors.
• Live zookeeper and volunteer talks provide real-time insights from the people who care for the animals.
• Daily viewer-generated video and photo content accesible to all

This combination creates an authentic, emotional connection that no other streaming platform can offer.

A True Window Into the Wild

Every feature of Zoolife is designed to bring people closer to wildlife while promoting conservation:

• Camera placement gives unfiltered, real-time glimpses of animals.
• Community-driven talks spread awareness about conservation and how to support it.
• User control ensures that what you see is natural, not staged or curated.

Ever wondered what gorillas do when no one’s watching? With Zoolife, you can see for yourself.

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Watching the gorillas on Zoolife’s beta streaming platform, with much smoother controls compared to the first prototype

And where will this connection go?

With a focus on providing its audience a meaningful connection with wildlife, Zoolife has only grown and continues with its conservation and connection mission first – our ambition has always been to be the #1 online destination to connect with and protect the world’s wildlife. Today, Zoolife features over 45 unique habitats featuring over 100 species with thousands of hours spent every month watching them by viewers who have helped conservation efforts led by our partners grow tremendously, both these numbers continue to grow as Zoolife continues to add more habitats and value for each subscriber.

Not only that, but we have expanded what our platform with zoolife.tv/educators. Now teachers have ready to use resources to help their class learn more about animal behaviors, characteristics, and conservation.

To be part of this exciting connection, check out Zoolife and learn more about the journey ahead!

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