There may be a downside to being surrounded by images of charismatic animals: It could warp the way we think about their wild populations.
WIDESPREAD DEPICTIONS OF animals in pop culture—in advertisements, movies, photos, and toy stores—could actually be hurting the animals’ survival chances in the wild, new research suggests.
Franck Courchamp of the University of Paris-Sud was intrigued by the idea of “charisma” in animals. He wanted to know: What species do people consider charismatic? And what are the implications of having that "it" factor for populations in the wild? Continues..
The Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) is a critically endangered species, threatened by habitat loss and poaching.
An elephant group on the move in Samburu National Park, Kenya.
A giant panda plays in the treetops inside an enclosure at the Wolong Giant Panda Research Center, China.
Credits Goes: CECELIA SMITH-SCHOENWALDER
Reference: National Geographic
