Movies and the Wildlife Trade

Wednesday 1st Feb 2023, 9.30am

Movies have a great deal of influence in our lives. Whether you like to follow the works of a particular director, throw yourself whole-heartedly into cosplay, or just enjoy going to the flicks on a Friday night, most of us have some sort of relationship with the silver screen. But how far does the influence go? Could the appearance of exotic animals in films actually persuade viewers to bring these animals into their lives, as pets? This is exactly what Dr Diogo Veríssimo from Oxford’s Department of Biology has been investigating, and he’s here to tell us what he’s found out..