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Public Perceptions Of Human Physical Interactions, Exhibition, And Conservation Of Tigers And Cheetahs, Abbie Knudsen

MSU Graduate Theses

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 …