In a recent article in The Conversation, Dr Bob Smith and DICE alumnus Dr Diogo Veríssimo argue that the media’s obsession with only a few dozen animals like tigers and gorillas diverts conservation funding away from equally endangered, but less popular species.
This narrow focus makes the most of widespread fascination with large and cute creatures, conservationists taking advantage of these nonhuman ‘celebrities’ to raise awareness about important issues and to seek donations. Given the multi-billion dollar funding shortfall for nature conservation, public support is crucial.
But what about the Nimba otter shrew, the Cuban greater funnel-eared bat or other threatened yet obscure species? And don’t all imperiled green spaces, not just the homes of leopards and orangutans, deserve attention?
Dr Smith and Dr Veríssimo wanted to discover whether marketing could perhaps rescue species like bats and snakes, often considered ‘lost causes’ by conventional wisdom applied to fundraising. If companies can successfully sell mops and other humdrum products, why can’t conservationists raise money to save the unglamorous giant golden mole, even if it looks like a small cushion with a nose poking out of it? Their research, summarised in the article, seeks the answer to this question by measuring the links between marketing efforts and conservation fundraising success.
The article can be read in full here.
Image is of a Nimba otter shrew, part of whose habitat has been destroyed by mining activities © Flickr/Julian Bayliss