In an unexpected turn of events, Animal Livestreams are now getting their own category on Twitch. Streams of honeybees, sea otters, and other animals can be found in the Animals, Aquariums, and Zoos category.

Pet videos have always been very popular on the internet, so it makes total sense for Twitch to launch a new streaming category for people who enjoy watching cute pet videos. Animals, Aquariums, and Zoos bring together all of the animal streams in one place. However, there have always been channels that showcase animals across the platform’s various categories.

From a colony of honeybees, to ducks paddling in a pond, the channels in this category offer a glance into a range of animal species. Several of the channels are run by animal rescues and conservation organizations, providing viewers with insight into the day-to-day operations of care for endangered species such as sea otters, wolves, and other animals.

Other streamers just film their experiences caring for their pets, such as QBunnyTV, a Malaysian channel whose owners offers a schedule of when viewers may tune in to see them feed their bunnies.

Twitch announced in a blog post that Animal Week will begin concurrently with the category’s introduction. From November 1-7, 2021, the platform promoted educational resources on animal welfare, endangered species, and biodiversity through Animals, Aquariums, and Zoos.

Twitch stated:

“Historically, animal streams run across a variety of categories: ASMR, Travel & Outdoors, Just Chatting, Science & Technology, Music and Pools, and Hot Tubs & Beaches. The time has come to give our animal friends, and the people who—literally—love to see them, a good home. That’s correct, we’re launching an Animal category to kick off Animal Week on Twitch. Dedicating a space to our beautiful pets isn’t simply a morale booster—it’s an exciting method to emphasize the importance of environmental and conservation issues impacting these species of various sizes and provenance.”

 

They continued to say: “We’re collaborating with zoos, aquariums, and animal welfare organizations to raise awareness about animals, their protection, and the rehabilitation and conservation of the environments in which they flourish.”

Twitch has included a streaming schedule in the article, which introduces users to some of the channels listed in Animals, Aquariums, and Zoos, as well as a list of animal welfare groups and sanctuaries. Zoos, aquariums, and animal non-profits interested in starting streaming channels have also been offered assistance by the platform.

Head over to Twitch’s blog post to see the detailed schedule. Are you tuning in to Twitch’s new categories, or are you more interested in checking out TikTok’s TV app?

Photo via esportstalk