Ubiquitous Love or Not? Animal Welfare and Animal-Informed Consent in Giant Panda Tourism

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Understanding the relationship that tourists have with the giant panda can be taken-for-granted given this species’ iconic status and cuteness. Based on a self-reporting questionnaire, we found that Chinese “fans” of giant pandas generally paid greater attention to the welfare of the captive pandas in comparison to “non-fans”. Additionally, fans tend to perceive the welfare of captive pandas more positively, who tend to believe that giant pandas offer more prominent consent to being used as tourist attractions. This study provides new insight into an understanding of the human–panda connection. The ubiquitous love we have for pandas can translate into a better life for these animals down the road. ABSTRACT: Scholars argue that the ubiquity of the “virtual panda”—the panda people meet in zoos and consume as souvenirs, online memes, or videos—exists in a state of hybridity between wild and domesticated. The species has garnered a significant amount of attention because of their iconic status and because of how cute they are to an adoring crowd. However, given the degree of regard tourists have for the panda, there is a dearth of research on different types of visitors to captive panda venues. In filling this gap, we investigated (1) how deeply Chinese “fans” and “non-fans” consider the welfare of captive giant pandas, and (2) if these groups differ in their assessment of whether giant pandas consent to being used as tourist attractions. In both aims, we apply a recent model on animal welfare and animal consent to giant pandas of the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.