Charismatic Fauna’s Role

Charismatic fauna help to get the general public get interested in conservation and environmental issues.

While a small percentage of the population understands and has interest in ecological concepts, making them familiar with the importance of species conservation in preserving the stability of our biosphere, much of the general public do not. Hence, it would be necessary for scientists and advocates alike to appeal not to rationality and reason, but to emotion. Motivation to act can hinge strongly on how something makes us feel, and this is a crucial way in which charismatic fauna can help to engage the general public.

A study by Gunnthorsdottir (2015) found that public support for preservation efforts increased with attractiveness of the species and human resemblance. Hence, the use of these animals in conservation campaigns leverages on their lovability and charm to attract people to care, and could even be a strategy to establish ecological concern in people, changing attitudes and eventually leading to more support for environmental issues in general.

As can be seen from the model on the right, the Theory of Planned Behaviour states that intention precedes behaviour, which is in turn affected by subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, and attitude. 

While a change in attitude alone may not necessarily translate into a change in behaviour due to many other participating factors, both internal and external, changing attitudes towards conservation issues through the help of charismatic fauna can be crucial in kicking off the process towards positive behavioural change. Hence, using these species to attract people can potentially be useful for the conservation as a whole!