How the Media Shapes Our Views on the Exotic Pet Trade

The exotic pet trade is a multi-billion-dollar global industry, affecting millions of animals and countless stakeholders. But how the trade is perceived by the public, policymakers, and even scientists is largely shaped by how it’s framed in the media. A new study published in Royal Society Open Science in early March takes a deep dive into how newspapers and scientific journals portray the exotic pet trade—revealing striking differences in focus, bias, and even emotional tone.

What Is the Exotic Pet Trade?

The exotic pet trade involves the buying, selling, and ownership of non-domesticated animals—species that have not undergone the generations of selective breeding that define traditional pets like cats and dogs. This trade includes a vast range of animals, from reptiles, birds, and amphibians to invertebrates and even large mammals. While some exotic pets are bred in captivity, many are captured from the wild, raising concerns about biodiversity loss, invasive species, and the welfare of individual animals. The trade can be legal, regulated, or entirely illegal, depending on the species, country, and circumstances involved. Because of its complexity, media coverage can shape public opinion and influence how the trade is perceived, often emphasizing certain aspects while neglecting others.

What the Study Found: A Tale of Two Narratives

Researchers analyzed 320 peer-reviewed journal articles and 191 newspaper stories published between 2001 and 2020 to examine how the exotic pet trade is framed across different media types. Their key findings paint a clear picture:

• Newspapers focus on animal welfare. The most common framing in newspaper coverage centered on the well-being of individual animals, often using emotionally charged language to highlight suffering, neglect, or abuse. Welfare concerns appeared in nearly a third of newspaper articles, making it the dominant theme in popular media.
• Scientific papers focus on conservation. In contrast, academic studies overwhelmingly frame the exotic pet trade in terms of conservation, highlighting the impact of wildlife trafficking on species populations and ecosystems. Conservation was the dominant framing in over 55% of peer-reviewed articles, while only 3% of studies were framed purely around animal welfare.
• Newspapers use more emotional language. Sentiment analysis revealed that newspaper articles employ more negative and emotive language, using words associated with anger, sadness, and fear. Scientific papers, by comparison, tend to be neutral and data-driven, favoring terms linked to trust and objectivity.
• Certain animals receive more attention than others. Birds and mammals, particularly charismatic species like parrots and primates, are far more likely to be the focus of both scientific and media coverage than reptiles, amphibians, or invertebrates—even though the latter are heavily traded as pets.

Why Does This Matter?

The way the exotic pet trade is portrayed in the media has real-world consequences. Public perception drives political action, influences legislation, and shapes consumer behavior. If welfare concerns dominate the public conversation while conservation remains the primary scientific focus, critical gaps may be overlooked. For instance:

• Policy Implications: Lawmakers responding to public pressure may push for outright bans on exotic pets, even when sustainable trade models could be more effective.
• Research Funding: Scientific studies may continue prioritizing conservation over welfare, leaving significant knowledge gaps on the well-being of traded animals.
• Consumer Behavior: Emotional news stories may discourage pet ownership of certain species but fail to educate buyers about responsible sourcing and care.

Bridging the Communication Gap

To create a more informed and balanced conversation about the exotic pet trade, researchers suggest a few key actions:

1. Increase collaboration between scientists and journalists. More effective communication can ensure that welfare concerns are backed by data and that conservation messages reach a broader audience.
2. Expand research on animal welfare. Given that welfare issues are a major public concern, scientists could prioritize more studies on how the pet trade affects individual animals, not just species as a whole.
3. Diversify media coverage. Both scientific and news media should strive to cover a wider range of species, including lesser-known animals that suffer from lack of visibility.

With global scrutiny on the exotic pet trade increasing, the narratives we choose to emphasize will shape its future. Whether through conservation, welfare, or economics, a more balanced and well-informed discussion can lead to policies and practices that benefit both animals and people.