How Social Media Affects Perceptions Of Zoo Animals
To ensure public support and conservation funding, many zoos try to maintain high standards in animal welfare. Research has found that visitors are less likely to support a zoo when they perceive an animal to be suffering. According to the authors of this paper, zoos often use natural behavior as an indicator of animal welfare because it suggests that the restrictions of captivity do not harm the animal.
Despite the emphasis placed on natural behavior, close-encounter experiences offered at zoos (such as allowing visitors to feed or hold an animal) can make it challenging for the animals to behave naturally. As close-encounter photos are often shared online, the authors argue that such social media posts may promote misinformation and encourage unethical behaviors towards animals when viewed out of context.
Although zoos and wild animal organizations cannot control the images that visitors post online, it’s important to understand how these images influence viewer perceptions so that the organizations can plan their messaging and programs accordingly. This study measured the impact of viewing close-encounter photos on public perceptions of both the zoo and the animals in the photos. Although the authors focus on zoo settings, the takeaways may also be relevant for sanctuaries and rescue centers that house wild animals on-site.
At two Australian zoos, 16 pictures were taken of four animals native to Australia (an Eclectus parrot, a kangaroo, a Monteith’s leaf insect, and a Centralian carpet python). Each image featured one of the four animals either alone or with a human model at varying proximity. An online survey was distributed to two groups: people who were part of the “zoo community” (e.g., those who followed the zoos on social media and presumably had a pre-existing interest in zoos) and the Australian general public. After viewing one of the 16 photos, participants were asked to weigh in on whether the animal would make a good companion animal, whether the zoo takes care of the animal, and whether the animal was displaying natural behavior.
The authors found that viewing close-encounter images impacted perceptions about animal welfare at zoos and about the use of animals as companions. However, perceptions differed based on the animal involved, the human’s presence and position in the image, and the audience viewing the picture.
For example, the zoo community agreed that the animals in the photos were cared for 7.5% more than the general public. To explain this, the authors suggest that people who are invested in zoos may be more aware of modern zoo welfare practices, or they may simply be more supportive of zoos.
Across both groups, the respondents felt that the kangaroo was displaying less natural behavior compared to the leaf insect and the python. The authors hypothesize that people tend to attribute more cognitive abilities to birds and mammals and often prefer them to other animals. These feelings of empathy could lead to the belief that the kangaroo wasn’t displaying natural behaviors due to the restrictions of captivity.
The general public was more likely than the zoo community to agree that the animals in the photos would make a good companion animal when a human was nearby. The authors wonder whether this stems from an acceptance of human dominance over wildlife. Regardless, advocates should be aware of the finding that certain human-animal imagery may increase the appeal of acquiring a wild animal as a companion.
Further research should aim to reflect the diversity of people using social media by using different human models of various genders, ethnicities, and ages. Cross-cultural, multinational, and cross-generational studies could also be conducted to understand how perceptions of zoo animal imagery change in different contexts.
Advocates can call for zoos to develop specific messaging to educate visitors how to responsibly share their photos online. For example, zoos could encourage visitors to add text in social media posts that sends a conservation message. From an advocacy perspective, zoos should be discouraged from hosting close-encounter experiences and instead create enclosures that mimic animals’ wild habitats and experiences as closely as possible. Finally, the lesson that human proximity can shape public perceptions of wild animals is an important takeaway for sanctuaries and wild animal rescue centers, who may use social media to promote their activities.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12010011