Date of Graduation
Fall 2022
Degree
Master of Science in Biology
Department
Biology
Committee Chair
Alicia Mathis
Abstract
Tigers and cheetahs are common in the pet trade, public exhibits, and hands-on encounters with the public. Poor regulation of these experiences has resulted in numerous incidents worldwide in which a person was seriously injured or killed by captive big cats. Additionally, concerns for animal welfare have been raised by industry professionals. Prior research on primates has demonstrated exposing people to photographs of cats in different backgrounds can influence their attitudes about animals in captivity, but no study has addressed whether visual images affect human attitudes toward big cats. I used a survey that asked a series of questions about the suitability of keeping tigers and cheetahs in captivity, with each survey accompanied by a picture of tiger or cheetah in one of several backgrounds. Adult tigers were assessed as least happy when pictured in a circus, naturalistic zoo exhibit, or hard-surface exhibit, and adult cheetahs were evaluated as least happy when pictured on a leash or zoo background. In addition to the influence of the image characteristics, survey responses identified many significant trends in public perceptions of big cats as it relates to human physical interactions, exhibition, and conservation. For example, the majority of respondents believed that: scenarios where human interaction is permitted with tigers or cheetahs are unsafe, tigers and cheetahs are not appropriate to keep as pets, it should not be legal to own a big cat as a pet, and it is inappropriate for a tiger to perform tricks for the public’s entertainment. Although our findings show limited influence of image characteristics on attitudes about tigers or cheetahs, the compiled survey results indicate that the public is concerned about the safety of people and welfare of big cats both in captivity and the wild.
Keywords
big cat, tiger, cheetah, public perception, conservation, zoo
Subject Categories
Other Life Sciences
Copyright
© Abbie Knudsen
Recommended Citation
Knudsen, Abbie, "Public Perceptions of Human Physical Interactions, Exhibition, and Conservation of Tigers and Cheetahs" (2022). MSU Graduate Theses. 3809.
https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/3809
