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| A scene from a completely biased, propaganda hit-piece. Any guess what I thought about the movie? (Walt Disney Pictures) (N/A/Walt Disney Pictures) |
I read this article and it disgusted me. There are no other words to describe how I felt when I read it.
The portrayal of hyenas in The Lion King franchise is inexcusable as is. The person who wrote this article manages to make matters worse by labeling an entire species as "revolting" and "grotesque" based on a work of fiction. and further showing how despicably ignorant he is by mocking on Twitter the biologists and animal behaviourists who (quite rightly) called him out on it.
Before you think I'm overreacting, studies have actually shown that the ways animals are represented in fiction GREATLY affects public perception of them (Warren and Yoho, 2018; Hughes, 2013). Understandably, this has significant effects on their conservation (Ross et al, 2008; Schroepfer et al, 2011; Ross et al, 2011).
This is bad news for hyenas; especially when fiction insists on continuing to portray them as universally ugly, stupid and cowardly. The Lion King is easily the worst offender; EVERY hyena in the franchise is cowardly, thuggish and malevolent. Name me one good hyena in the whole franchise and I'll retract this statement.
Why is this important? According to the ICUN, spotted hyena populations in Africa are in decline, due to habitat loss and persecution. The locals view them as vermin; in Kenya, people still shoot them for fun. And it's perfectly legal for them to do so; hyenas receive, outside protected areas, the bare minimum of legal protection. In Ethiopia, you can kill a hyena, without a license, for the equivalent of £1.95.
Allowing a species to go extinct because we find it unattractive should fill any moral person with disgust. Maybe the Walt Disney Corporation should remember that fact next time they're casting "goodies" and "baddies" for their animated films.
References
Hughes, C. (2013). Exploring Children's Perceptions of Cheetahs through Storytelling: Implications for Cheetah Conservation. Applied Environmental Education & Communication, 12(3), 173-186.
Ross, S. R., Lukas, K. E., Lonsdorf, E. V., Stoinski, T. S., Hare, B., Shumaker, R., & Goodall, J. (2008). Inappropriate use and portrayal of chimpanzees.
Ross, S. R., Vreeman, V. M., & Lonsdorf, E. V. (2011). Specific image characteristics influence attitudes about chimpanzee conservation and use as pets. PLoS One, 6(7), e22050.
Schroepfer, K. K., Rosati, A. G., Chartrand, T., & Hare, B. (2011). Use of “entertainment” chimpanzees in commercials distorts public perception regarding their conservation status. PloS one, 6(10), e26048.
Warren, N., & Yoho, R. MISCONCEPTIONS, SHARKS, AND STORYBOOKS.
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