Good news! There is one simple thing you can NOT do to help animals.
You know the greeting card. The one with the grinning chimpanzee wearing a party hat wishing you a happy birthday? I’m sure you can picture it. Which is good, because this post is about that picture, but I definitely can’t show it to you.
I can’t show you the picture because when people see that image, and other images of chimpanzees in unnatural settings, they are more likely to believe two dangerous things. First, they are more likely to believe that chimpanzees are appealing pets. Second, they are more likely to believe that chimpanzees aren’t endangered in the wild. When in fact, chimpanzees suffer in the pet trade and chimpanzees do need our protection in the wild.
Photos of chimpanzees and monkeys hanging around humans, and spending time in human spaces, have been the subject of solid science that has demonstrated the effect these pictures have on our thinking. The first studies on this topic were published about 15 years ago by my Lincoln Park Zoo friends and colleagues (and a little-known co-author, Jane Goodall).
Example of an appropriate portrayal of a chimpanzee at Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage Trust in Zambia. Photo by KA Cronin.
It took some time, but the research influenced how many zoos and sanctuaries around the world share images of the primates they protect. Social media feeds became more responsible, deliberately not sharing images of primates alongside people. This hasn't been an easy shift to make, given that organizations want to engage audiences and people seem to be drawn to these kinds of images. However, the science eventually began to serve animals, and policies informed by this science started to take shape.
I am sharing this story with you all now, however, because recently the drugstore CVS decided to stop selling greeting cards with photos of apes in unnatural contexts, in an effort to act in the best interest of the animals. There are 9,950 CVS stores in the U.S. Rite Aid made the same decision earlier this year for their 2,400 stores.
This decision by CVS and Rite Aid feels worthy of some celebration! Unlike many complicated animal welfare issues, this one is a straightforward win. This change benefits animals without putting anyone at a disadvantage. Second, it makes me feel optimistic that our science can continue to have beneficial effects years down the road. Thanks, CVS.
If you’ve never known the harmful impacts of sharing these kinds of images, don’t feel bad. As I said, it seems our human psychology is naturally drawn to these odd portrayals. How great is it to learn that there is such an easy way to help animals? In this case, NOT doing something — not sharing an image — is all you gotta do. That’s good news!
Learn More
Best Practice Guidelines for Responsible Images of Non-Human Primates. A Publication of The IUCN Primate Specialist Group Section for Human-Primate Interactions. Available here.
How a Lincoln Park Zoo Expert’s Research on Saving Apes Led to a Ban on Greeting Cards Featuring Costumed Gorillas. Article in Block Club Chicago. Available here.
Ross SR, Lukas KE, Lonsdorf EV, Stoinski TS, Hare B, Shumaker R & Goodall J. 2008. Inappropriate use and portrayal of chimpanzees. Science 319:1487. Link to article.
Ross SR, Vreeman VM, Lonsdorf EV. 2011. Specific image characteristics influence attitudes about chimpanzee conservation and use as pets. PLOS One 6:e22050. Link to article.
Schroepfer KK, Rosati AG, Chartrand T & Hare B. 2011. Use of “entertainment” chimpanzees in commercials distorts public perception regarding their conservation status. PLOS One 6:e26048. Link to article.
