Presentation Details
| Celebrity Cougars: A sentiment analysis of puma (Puma concolor) Los Angeles newspaper covereage, 1997 to 2023 Katherine V.Hernandez1, 2, Alvaro Villarreal1, Maggie Chapin1, Natalya Cummings1, David Wise1, Christopher Kelty1, 3. 1University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.2UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, Los Angeles, CA, USA.3UCLA Institute for Society and Genetics, Los Angeles, CA, USA |
Abstract
It is a popular conservation tactic to uplift and create stories around "charismatic" species as a way to gain support for conservation at large. But, charisma is subjective, and its power to sway public opinion may appear greater than it is in reality. For example, In 2012 a puma (Puma concolor) in Los Angeles County was spotted by camera traps set in Griffith Park and entered the public eye under the moniker “P-22.” P-22 remained in the area until 2022, when he was humanely euthanized. In both life and death, P-22 was treated as an unofficial mascot for the city of Los Angeles, highlighted in news media, artistic expression, and in campaigns for the world’s largest wildlife overpass now being built over a major LA freeway. P-22 is a quintessential charismatic animal that seems to have altered public opinion and the LA landscape itself. Through this study we investigate how true this story of change actually is. Specifically, we ask how has the quantity and content of Los Angeles Times newspaper coverage on mountain lions changed since before, during, and just after P-22’s public life (1997 to 2023)? And what could this tell us about charisma and celebrity as conservation tactics?
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