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Authors
Harrington, Lauren A.
Elwin, Angie
D’Cruze, Neil
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Article History
Received: 31 July 2025
Accepted: 19 August 2025
First Online: 6 September 2025
Declarations
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: Institutional ethical approval was not available to the authors at the time of data collection for this study; ethical research practices as outlined by the British Sociological Association and current academic thinking on the use of publically-available social media data were followed. Further details, including the steps taken to protect individual social media users, are provided in the Methods section. Consent to participate was not required. Individual social media users (either posting, or commenting on, videos) were not engaged with directly or identified in the data collated. Further information on our processes is provided in the Methods section.
: Consent to publish was not required. Individual social media users (either posting, or commenting on, videos) were not engaged with directly or identified in the data collated. Further information on our processes is provided in the Methods section.
: This study was funded by an animal welfare organisation; two of the authors are employed by the same organisation (NDC holds the position of Head of Research). Our intent in carrying out this study was to provide insight into how videos showing AVIs involving large and potentially dangerous animals are perceived by viewers, which is relevant to research questions regarding the role that social media might play in driving such AVIs. We do not attempt to assess the welfare conditions of the animals involved in the particular videos included in the study, nor do we make any assumptions that animal welfare conditions in these particular videos are poor. We do hold the view that animals used in these types of visitor attractions are at risk of suffering poor welfare at some point in the process. However, our results pertaining to viewer response were in no way influenced by our own personal views on the appropriateness of these type of AVIs, on animal welfare, or the funding source. Authors declare no other COI.
