The Wildlife Sanctuary You Can Visit from Anywhere | Maya Higa | TED

Maya Higa, born in 1998 and raised on a farm, turned her passion for wildlife into a mission to use the internet to build the next generation of conservationists after a viral clip of her rescued red-tailed hawk, Bean, made her Twitch stream explode overnight. Inspired by a viewer challenge, she raised $573,000 in a single 21-hour stream by agreeing to shave her head, funding a closed-door sanctuary in Austin, Texas, where rescued animals like marmosets, a fox, and a cow live with 36 live cameras streaming 24/7. By keeping the sanctuary closed to the public, she avoids overhead costs and animal stress, creating one of the world’s most accessible zoo models—free for anyone with internet access. Her livestreaming has raised over $7.5 million for conservation since 2019 and reached over 250 million people by 2025, meeting young audiences where they already spend time on social media. Her approach makes conservation feel accessible by letting viewers participate live, unlike distant icons like Steve Irwin or Jane Goodall. The next phase is breeding critically endangered wolves for reintroduction, with the ultimate goal of creating millions of new, engaged conservationists online.

• ▶ 0:04 Maya's mission is to use the internet to build the next generation of conservationists, and she was born in 1998.
• ▶ 0:15 She grew up on a farm with many animals, and at age 18 became a zookeeper, bringing kangaroos and lemurs to schools and parties to teach kids about wildlife.
• ▶ 0:43 After discovering live streaming on Twitch from friends, she realized she could broadcast herself doing anything and earn real cash tips, so she began streaming almost daily to about 10 viewers.
• ▶ 1:14 Maya rescued a red-tailed hawk named Bean after a car accident and began rehabilitating him in her backyard.
• ▶ 1:31 A clip of her proving to a disbelieving viewer that she had the hawk went viral on Reddit, causing her viewership to shoot up overnight.
• ▶ 2:57 Two years later, she envisioned a sanctuary nobody visits in person—live-streaming huge animal enclosures and conservation education to millions globally, funded via a single live stream.
• ▶ 3:35 A viewer challenge led Maya Higa to agree to shave her head on stream if they raised $500,000.
• ▶ 3:43 The community raised $573,000 during a 21-hour live stream, funding the sanctuary's construction.
• After securing funds, she bought land in Austin, Texas, and built animal enclosures, while noting her hair took about two years to grow back.
• ▶ 4:33 Rescued marmosets OA and Momo, originally bought online as pets, now live at the sanctuary to educate people about primate pet trade exploitation and rainforest conservation.
• ▶ 5:03 Finn the American red fox, confiscated from the illegal pet trade, lives at the sanctuary with his friend Reed to teach about the cruelty of the fur trade.
• ▶ 5:17 Winnie the cow, rescued from a beef operation, helps teach about commercial agriculture; a $5 online donation dispenses treats and has raised over $38,000 for the sanctuary.
• ▶ 5:55 Livestreaming has raised over $7.5 million for conservation since 2019, and in 2025 reached over 250 million people—equivalent to 10 million classrooms—with online conservation education.
• ▶ 6:23 The sanctuary hosts rescued animals with 36 live cameras streaming 24/7, and being closed to the public reduces animal stress while avoiding costs for gift shops, concessions, or parking lots.
• ▶ 7:00 This closed-door approach creates one of the world’s most accessible zoo models—free for anyone with internet—and its community (mostly ages 17–28) is reached by meeting young people on social media, where they already spend time.
• ▶ 7:49 Past conservation icons like Steve Irwin, David Attenborough, and Jane Goodall inspire people, but can feel distant and hard to relate to.
• ▶ 8:14 Alveus makes conservation feel accessible by letting viewers participate live in the sanctuary's work.
• ▶ 8:31 The next phase is building a facility to breed critically endangered wolves for reintroduction, with the goal of creating millions of new conservationists via the internet.

• ▶ 0:04 Introduction & Early Life (0:04 - 1:14) - Mission introduction, farm upbringing, and discovering live streaming on Twitch.
• ▶ 1:14 Rescuing Bean and Going Viral (1:14 - 3:38) - Rescues a red-tailed hawk, streams its rehabilitation, and scales from classrooms to a global audience.
• ▶ 3:38 Fundraising and Building the Sanctuary (3:38 - 4:28) - Raises $500K through a head-shave challenge and begins building the sanctuary.
• ▶ 4:28 Animal Rescues: Marmosets, Finn, and Winnie (4:28 - 5:55) - Rescues marmosets, Finn, and Winnie the cow from their previous situations.
• ▶ 5:55 Livestream Impact and Community (5:55 - 7:49) - Highlights $7.5M raised, the closed-door sanctuary model, and the young online community.
• ▶ 7:49 Conservation Heroes and Future Plans (7:49 - 9:26) - Connects audiences to conservation heroes, plans breeding endangered wolves, and looks to the next generation.