\u201cUsing an aesthetic species such as the caracal is an effective way to capture public attention to communicate the importance of conserving urban wildlife,\u201d said Drs. Laurel Serieys and Gabriella Leighton with the Urban Caracal Project (UCP) and the University of Cape Town in the press release.<\/p>\n
The findings suggest the graceful carnivore\u2019s online appeal is connected with viral images, memes and videos of cats.<\/p>\n
Improved public engagement is important for achieving conservation aims, particularly in biodiversity hotspots. Many species are unique to these regions, as well as endangered, and threatened areas are becoming increasingly urbanized and understudied.<\/p>\n Cape Town is home to the caracal, as well as a biodiversity hotspot. Caracals are elusive mammals who are viewed by livestock farmers in other parts of South Africa as pests.<\/p>\n The UCP was established in December of 2014 to explore caracal ecology. The project uses social media to influence perceptions and awareness of urban caracal conservation. UCP is run by researchers hosted by University of Cape Town\u2019s Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa.<\/p>\n Most of the interactions regarding UCP\u2019s works are communicated through social media, though the project also has a website.<\/p>\n The authors of the study assessed caracals\u2019 global popularity between 2004 and the present using Google Trends, both before and following the establishment of UCP. They compared the interest in caracals with that of the serval, a similar wild cat from Africa.<\/p>\n The authors also used recent Instagram and Facebook data to look at all the material UCP had posted, along with direct public engagement like reporting caracal rescues, sightings and findings of deceased individuals.<\/p>\n The results showed twice as much interest in \u201ccaracal\u201d as a term since the launching of UCP. This represented a 91 percent increase in comparison with that of \u201cservals,\u201d which grew by 76 percent during the same period.<\/p>\n The authors said the results suggested UCP had helped increase global awareness of caracals as a species.<\/p>\n Other evidence included the project\u2019s now 7,300 followers on Instagram and 16,800 on Facebook, which represent \u201cmicro-influencer\u201d status. Most UCP followers are from South Africa, but include those from India, the United Kingdom and the United States.<\/p>\n The authors said deaths of caracals reported by the public \u2014 frequently through social media or WhatsApp \u2014 allow them to assess threats to the population, as well as roadkill patterns, through post-mortems.<\/p>\n Samples taken for the conducting of tissue analysis have been collected from areas that would have been otherwise unreachable if it weren\u2019t for the citizen network. These investigations have revealed that caracals are exposed to poisonous pesticides and pollutants.<\/p>\n Facebook comments and sightings give conservationists useful information about how the African wildcats respond to humans. Most caracal encounters with humans happen on paths or roads, with caracals being described as \u201ccalm\u201d or \u201cchilled\u201d before quickly moving away.<\/p>\n The most frequently used positive adjective to describe caracals in Facebook comments is \u201cbeautiful,\u201d in addition to \u201csad\u201d on negative posts \u2014 most often in response to the death of an individual caracal or a threat to their population. The authors said this shows how much engagement on social media has resulted in people caring about the welfare of caracals.<\/p>\n \u201cThis paper contributes to our understanding of the various ways in which the public can participate in science. It shows how charismatic species can contribute to conservation and public awareness of biodiversity in urban areas,\u201d Serieys and Leighton said. \u201cThe research demonstrates how a public interest in urban ecology and the global phenomenon of \u2018cats on the internet\u2019\u2026 can be harnessed to leverage conservation action.\u201d<\/p>\n The study, \u201cWild Cats on the Internet: The Role of Social Media in Popularising Caracals in South Africa,\u201d was published in the journal Environmental Communication and will be part of its special issue, Affective Encounters: Storying in South African Ecological Communication.<\/p>\n