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Why does it matter how we frame predators in the media: A thread inspired by the recent cougar "stalking". The first thing that it& #39;s important is public safety. Misinterpreting behaviors can lead to human injury or even death especially among humans not experienced with wildlife
Secondly providing the proper context for a behavior prevents predators from being vilified. With the rise of social media and affordable cameras, a lot of clips and stories are appearing with close encounters with predators. These are often intense videos...
...and are more likely to be shared than say a video of the same predator at a safe distance doing their thing. This helps spread the perception that predators are out there to get you whilst in reality more often than not they want nothing to do with you...
One of the most commonly asked questions I get is "How do I keep myself from coyotes because I saw x or y video online and it was scary". This change in public perception is crucial because conservation and coexistence efforts can be hampered by a misinformed negative perception
Especially recently since various reintroductions or management initiatives are being put on ballots, being able to make an informed decision as to how you vote is crucial. Lastly poorly framed videos/stories can trigger unnecessary violence towards a species...
... which can have unforeseen effects on the local population dynamic, therefore, contributing to more human-wildlife conflict (i.e orphans desperately attacking humans or pets,injured animals lashing out etc) which then continues to add to the negative perception.
