tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/fox-28165/articlesFox – The Conversation2024-02-29T19:06:40Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2233522024-02-29T19:06:40Z2024-02-29T19:06:40ZBaiting foxes can make feral cats even more ‘brazen’, study of 1.5 million forest photos shows<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575214/original/file-20240213-18-92wlnn.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=6%2C659%2C2035%2C830&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Matthew Rees</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Foxes and cats kill about <a href="https://theconversation.com/1-7-million-foxes-300-million-native-animals-killed-every-year-now-we-know-the-damage-foxes-wreak-177832">2.6 billion mammals, birds and reptiles</a> across Australia, every year. To save native species from extinction, we need to protect them from these introduced predators. But land managers tend to focus on foxes, which are easier to control. Unfortunately this may have unintended consequences. </p>
<p>We wanted to find out how feral cats respond to fox control. In one of the biggest studies on this issue to date, we worked with land managers to set up 3,667 survey cameras in a series of controlled experiments. We studied the effects on cat behaviour and population density. </p>
<p>Our research shows feral cats are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.14402">more abundant</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/oik.09849">more brazen</a> after <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-023-03200-6">foxes are suppressed</a>. </p>
<p>In some regions, cats need to be managed alongside foxes to protect native wildlife.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">This camera trap captured a wide variety of animals, not just cats and foxes, in the Otway Ranges, 2019 (Matthew Rees)</span></figcaption>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/1-7-million-foxes-300-million-native-animals-killed-every-year-now-we-know-the-damage-foxes-wreak-177832">1.7 million foxes, 300 million native animals killed every year: now we know the damage foxes wreak</a>
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<h2>Could feral cats benefit from fox control?</h2>
<p>Foxes and cats were brought to Australia by European colonisers more than 170 years ago. They now coexist across much of the mainland. </p>
<p>While foxes are bigger than cats, they <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.13497">compete for many of the same prey species</a>.</p>
<p>But most wildlife conservation programs in southern Australia only control foxes. That’s largely because controlling foxes is relatively straightforward. Foxes are scavengers and readily take poison baits. Feral cats, on the other hand, prefer live prey. So they’re much more difficult to control using baits. </p>
<p>Consequently, foxes have become the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1071/WR05102">most widely controlled</a> invasive predator in Australia, while feral cat control has been relatively localised. </p>
<p>Some native species have thrived following fox control or eradication, but others have continued to decline. For example, one study found numbers of common brushtail possums, Western quolls and Tammar wallabies increased following fox control in southwest Western Australia. However, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyw237">seven other species crashed</a>: dunnarts, woylies, southern brown bandicoots, western ringtail possums, bush rats, brush-tailed phascogales and western brush wallabies.</p>
<p>People suspected controlling foxes could inadvertently free feral cats from competition and aggression, particularly if there were no dingoes around. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575489/original/file-20240213-26-kdcf3g.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="An image of a red fox from a camera trap in the study." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575489/original/file-20240213-26-kdcf3g.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575489/original/file-20240213-26-kdcf3g.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575489/original/file-20240213-26-kdcf3g.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575489/original/file-20240213-26-kdcf3g.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575489/original/file-20240213-26-kdcf3g.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575489/original/file-20240213-26-kdcf3g.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575489/original/file-20240213-26-kdcf3g.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Foxes devastate native wildlife, but may also suppress feral cats.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Matthew Rees</span></span>
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<h2>Experimenting with fox control</h2>
<p>To investigate how cats respond to fox control programs, we worked with land managers to run two large experiments in southwest Victoria. Foxes are the top predator in these forests and woodlands, because dingoes have already been removed.</p>
<p>We studied cat behaviour and population density before and after fox control in the Otway Ranges. In a separate study, we compared conservation reserves with and without fox control in the Glenelg region.</p>
<p>We put out 3,667 survey cameras over seven years. The cameras photograph animals as they walk by, allowing us to analyse where and when invasive predators and native mammals are active. </p>
<p>From these photographs, we were also able to identify individual feral cats based on their unique coat markings.</p>
<p>When multiple photographs of one cat were taken by several different cameras, we could track their movement. Combining information on the tracks of all the cats in an area allowed us to estimate cat population density. </p>
<p>It was a painstaking process. We went through almost 1.5 million images manually to check for animals, eliminate false triggers and identify individual cats. </p>
<p>Future research is exploring using <a href="https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/when-one-feral-cat-just-isn-t-another-feral-cat">artificial intelligence to streamline the process</a>, but the computer still needs to be taught what to look for. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575496/original/file-20240214-24-k52l5u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A grid of six different still images from camera traps showing a variety of different feral cats" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575496/original/file-20240214-24-k52l5u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575496/original/file-20240214-24-k52l5u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=506&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575496/original/file-20240214-24-k52l5u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=506&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575496/original/file-20240214-24-k52l5u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=506&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575496/original/file-20240214-24-k52l5u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=636&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575496/original/file-20240214-24-k52l5u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=636&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575496/original/file-20240214-24-k52l5u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=636&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">We identified 160 different feral cats across two fox control programs in south-west Victoria.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Matthew Rees</span></span>
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<h2>What we found</h2>
<p>We found <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-023-03200-6">sustained, intensive baiting for foxes</a> worked. Areas with more poison baits had fewer foxes. Replacing baits regularly was also worthwhile. </p>
<p>Feral cat density was generally <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.14402">higher in areas with fox control</a>. The strength of this effect varied with the extent and duration of fox management. We found up to 3.7 times as many cats in fox-baited landscapes.</p>
<p>Productive landscapes also supported more cats. There was about <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320719312674">one feral cat per square kilometre in wet forests</a>, compared with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.14402">less than half as many in dry forests</a>. </p>
<p>Feral cat behaviour also varied with fox control and forest type, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.14402">including how visible cats were, how far they moved</a>, and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/oik.09849">what times of day they were active</a>. </p>
<p>Feral cats appeared more adventurous where fox populations were suppressed. In dry forests, for example, foxes were largely nocturnal, as were most native mammals. Feral cats became more active at night when there were fewer foxes, potentially giving them access to different prey species.</p>
<p>We found some threatened species, such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-023-03200-6">long-nosed potoroos, were doing much better</a> in areas with long-term fox control, although others, such as southern brown bandicoots, showed no improvement. </p>
<p>We don’t know how fox control affected smaller native rodents and marsupials, which are likely to be <a href="https://theconversation.com/1-7-million-foxes-300-million-native-animals-killed-every-year-now-we-know-the-damage-foxes-wreak-177832">most at risk from increased cat predation</a>. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575862/original/file-20240215-28-zi11ud.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Camera trap image of one of the feral cats" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575862/original/file-20240215-28-zi11ud.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575862/original/file-20240215-28-zi11ud.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575862/original/file-20240215-28-zi11ud.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575862/original/file-20240215-28-zi11ud.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575862/original/file-20240215-28-zi11ud.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575862/original/file-20240215-28-zi11ud.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/575862/original/file-20240215-28-zi11ud.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Areas where foxes were controlled had more feral cats. They also tended to be behave differently.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Matthew Rees</span></span>
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<h2>A conservation balancing act</h2>
<p>Broad-scale fox control is an important tool in the ongoing battle to protect Australia’s wildlife. Fox baiting is relatively simple and effective. But we have to balance the known benefits of fox control against potential unintended consequences. </p>
<p>Our study reinforces the need to carefully consider what could happen if you only control one pest animal, and to monitor carefully rather than assume that fox control will benefit all native species. We are not saying people should stop fox baiting, because there are clear benefits to species such as long-nosed potoroos. But we need to keep an eye on the cats and might need to also manage their impacts on native prey. </p>
<p>As feral cats are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2014.09.010">notoriously difficult to control lethally</a>, indirect management may also be helpful. For example, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0133915">promoting dense understorey vegetation for native prey to hide in</a> or removing other sources of food that boost cat numbers such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-019-02131-5">pest rabbits</a>. </p>
<p>Integrated pest management is challenging and expensive but likely needed, especially where feral cats or other pests are thriving alongside foxes.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/10-year-feral-cat-plan-brings-us-a-step-closer-to-properly-protecting-endangered-wildlife-212976">10-year feral cat plan brings us a step closer to properly protecting endangered wildlife</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223352/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Matthew Rees receives funding from the Australian Government, Parks Victoria, Victorian Government Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, University of Melbourne, Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment, Conservation Ecology Centre and the Grains Research and Development Corporation. He is affiliated with the Queensland Conservation Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bronwyn Hradsky receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the Victorian Government Department of Energy, Enviroment and Climate Action, Parks Victoria and Zoos Victoria. She is a member of the Australian Wildlife Management Society and volunteers with Mange Management </span></em></p>We analysed photos of predators and prey from 3,667 camera traps in southwest Victoria. We found feral cats were more abundant and behaved differently in areas where foxes were baited.Matthew Rees, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, CSIROBronwyn Hradsky, Research Fellow in Ecology, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2130242023-11-15T14:22:00Z2023-11-15T14:22:00ZAs Lachlan Murdoch takes over from his father he may need to reset News Corp’s relations with Donald Trump<p>As Rupert Murdoch hands over the reins of News Corp and Fox <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/e13a0081-538a-4cdf-966d-1a20da47605f">to his son Lachlan</a>, there is an opportunity to rebuild the relationship between the family’s media empire and former US president Donald Trump. This would make business sense for Fox as Trump is a ratings winner. But it may prove to be more difficult than it first appears.</p>
<p>The deterioration of the relationship between the Murdochs and the former president resulted in <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-says-he-wont-take-part-republican-debates-2023-08-21/">Trump choosing</a> not to attend the Fox’s Republican debates. But Trump’s refusal to participate in any of the three debates has not affected his chances of gaining the nomination.</p>
<p>After the third debate on November 8, absent Trump was judged by 30% of the viewers to be the winner, <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12731283/Donald-Trump-named-real-winner-debate-DeSantis-Daily-Mail-poll-viewing-figures-revealed.html">in a J.L. Partners poll</a>. Further proof, according to one <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/08/how-donald-trump-got-the-upper-hand-on-fox-news">commentator</a>, that missing the debates has illustrated that Fox is more reliant on Trump than vice versa.</p>
<p>Trump’s love-hate relationship with Fox has been a long one, particularly his <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jun/16/donald-trump-rupert-murdoch-friendship-fox-news">connection</a> with Murdoch and his family. During the late 1970s and 1980s, Trump featured regularly in the Page Six gossip column of the Murdoch-owned New York Post. His constant appearances in the paper <a href="https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a30709872/page-six-gossip-history-new-york-post/">catapulted</a> Trump from a New York real-estate developer into a celebrity figure.</p>
<p>During the 2016 election cycle, Murdoch originally <a href="https://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2014/04/murdoch-says-jeb-bush-paul-ryan-top-2016-list-but-he-could-vote-for-hillary-186645">supported</a> Jeb Bush, the son of former president George H.W. Bush and brother to president George W. Bush. Trump’s initial support within the Fox organisation in 2016 was through Roger Ailes, the chief executive, as well as leading presenter Bill O’Reilly.</p>
<p>When Trump became the leading candidate for the 2016 Republican nomination, the Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2016/04/14/the-post-endorses-donald-trump/">endorsed</a> him for the candidacy, while Murdoch <a href="https://twitter.com/rupertmurdoch/status/705134886324215808?s=20">stated</a> that the Republican Party would “be mad not to unify” behind him. Consequently, Fox and Trump’s relationship became a mutually supportive one – Fox supported his campaign, while Trump enhanced Fox’s viewing figures.</p>
<p>That’s not to say it was all smooth sailing. In January 2016, he <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/27/us/politics/trump-feud-fox-debate.html">demanded</a> that Fox anchor Megyn Kelly be replaced as host of the second Fox-hosted debate after he accused her of treating her badly in the first. When Fox <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-35422552">refused</a>, he avoided the second debate and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-election/trump-abruptly-withdraws-from-fox-debate-in-iowa-idUSL2N15B00Z">told</a> reporters: “Let’s see how much money Fox is going to make on the debate without me.”</p>
<p>Fox News was committed to the Trump presidency. During the first year, Fox News acted as a crucial mouthpiece for the Trump administration. Fox and Friends, the station’s breakfast show was a conduit between Trump and Republicans, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/sep/17/fox-and-friends-fox-news-donald-trump">exaggerating</a> Trump’s achievements. Trump reciprocated by parroting Fox’s talking points in his Twitter feed.</p>
<p>The Trump-Fox relationship started to deteriorate on 2020 election night, when the station announced that Joe Biden had won the state of Arizona. For the Trump campaign, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/nov/05/fox-draws-trump-campaigns-ire-after-early-call-of-arizona-for-biden">this</a> was a betrayal. In March, Steve Bannon, host of the War Room podcast and Trump’s former chief strategist, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/03/03/the-trump-world-fox-news-war-gets-nasty-00085506">told the audience at CPAC</a>, the leading conservative conference, that Fox had done so illegitimately, constantly attacking Fox during his speech.</p>
<p>The gulf between Trump and Fox widened in April of this year. Fox’s <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/markets?utm_source=business_ribbon">support</a> of Trump’s baseless conspiracy theories surrounding vote rigging during the 2020 presidential election resulted in the organisation <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/first-read/fox-news-pays-price-2020-lies-trump-hasnt-yet-rcna80382">settling a defamation lawsuit</a> with the owners of the voting machines, Dominion Voting Systems, for US$787.5 million (£631.8 million).</p>
<p>According to some <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/03/donald-trump-relationship-fox-news">reports</a>, the settlement of the case, which involved admitting that the claims were without merit, was seen by Trump as the organisation turning its back on him. This was made worse by <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/fox-chairman-rupert-murdoch-said-under-oath-2020-election-was-not-stolen-according-to-court-filings">Murdoch’s sworn testimony</a> that “the election was not stolen”.</p>
<h2>Maga-hating Murdoch</h2>
<p>Trump still has a good rapport with some Fox hosts, but his relationship with Murdoch has deteriorated to the point where Trump <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11807939/Trump-ups-attacks-MAGA-Hating-Globalist-RINO-Rupert-Murdoch.html">called Murdoch and the Fox executives</a> a group of “MAGA Hating Globalist RINOS” (Republican in name only). And his relationship with Fox in general is not the same as it was 2016. He also recently <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/110904845212218957">complained</a> about being unfairly treated by Fox and Friends.</p>
<p>Posting on his <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/110924112193729328">Truth Social website</a>, Trump claimed his decision to not attend the debate was because he was so far in front of his rivals in recent polls. While viewing <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2023/08/24/media/fox-news-gop-debate-ratings/index.html">figures</a> for the debate without Trump were higher than expected, they were half of those for the corresponding event in 2016.</p>
<p>Trump’s decision to release a recorded <a href="https://twitter.com/TuckerCarlson/status/1694513603251241143?s=20">interview</a> on X with former Fox star Tucker Carlson shortly after the debate was another slap in the face for Fox. Choosing Carlson to be the host, who has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/08/business/media/tucker-carlson-trump.html">stated</a> he hated Trump on numerous occasions and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/jul/26/tucker-carlson-fox-news-firing-condition-dominion-settlement">claimed</a> he himself had been fired from Fox News as part of the agreement with Dominion, was a thinly veiled attack on the channel.</p>
<p>Trump’s absence from the debates is unlikely to affect his chances of getting the Republican nomination. Polling experts <a href="https://fivethirtyeight.com/">FiveThirtyEight</a> give Trump 51.4% of the projected <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/president-primary-r/2024/national/">vote</a>, with his nearest rival Floridian governor Ron DeSantis at a dwindling 14.5%. </p>
<h2>Lachlan Murdoch enters the fray</h2>
<p>Lachlan Murdoch thinks as much of Trump as his father does. One unnamed source is <a href="https://people.com/lachlan-murdoch-more-conservative-than-rupert-source-says-7973718">quoted as saying</a> that Lachlan has “had trouble with Trump’s antics” in the past. </p>
<p>So resetting the Murdoch-Trump relationship might not be so easy. It would show immense weakness on Lachlan’s part and might jeopardise his relationship with his father, <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/lachlan-murdoch-reunite-fox-news-trump-biographer-michael-wolff/">according to</a> Michael Wolff, Murdoch’s biographer.</p>
<p>But regardless of who is in charge, Fox News will need to start rebuilding bridges with Trump to ensure that it maintains the attention of its Republican audience. After all, despite not being there, Trump was still the source of much <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/24/business/media/fox-republican-debate-trump.html">debate</a> and interaction between the candidates in the debates. </p>
<p><a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/4168345-fox-news-is-the-debates-biggest-loser/">Criticism</a> of the format of the first Fox debate suggests that Fox needs to do something if it wants to win the ratings war. And with <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12732397/Viewing-figures-Republican-debate-drop-NBC.html">declining viewing figures</a> for the debates without Trump, it needs to do something quickly. Meanwhile Trump, it seems, can do without Fox.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/213024/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dafydd Townley does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Will the son choose to build bridges with Trump that his father burned?Dafydd Townley, Teaching Fellow in International Security, University of PortsmouthLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1981122023-10-25T14:25:59Z2023-10-25T14:25:59ZWild animals that survive limb loss are astonishing – and a sign of the havoc humans are wreaking on nature<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/554045/original/file-20231016-17-xu2g35.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=11%2C23%2C2575%2C1912&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/threelegged-tiger-inhabiting-bukit-tinggi-zoo-2275422777">Estharix/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>It might seem astounding that a wild animal could survive a limb amputation and still thrive in the wild but videos from social media and research show this may be more common than people realise. Many wild animals not only survive the health risks of amputation, but go on to learn how to adapt to their new bodies, whether by themselves or with the help of others in their family.</p>
<p>Perhaps one of the most unbelievable cases was a video of a <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/01/04/watch-two-legged-fox-darts-couples-garden-like-human/">two-legged adult red fox</a> taken January 2023 in Derbyshire, England.</p>
<p>It’s hard to tell what happened to the fox, but despite the fact it was missing both back legs it appeared to be in good health as it had clean and well-groomed fur. In the video, the fox goes about the business of scent marking with the grace of a gymnast, controlling its body with perfect balance and ease. </p>
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<p>A 2015 <a href="https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/javma/247/7/javma.247.7.786.xml">study of dog owners</a> found 91% of participants perceived no change in their dog’s attitude after amputation. However, medical aftercare will have reduced the chances of infection, and pets don’t need to forage or hunt if their owner buys food for them. </p>
<p>Wildlife can get caught in snares and may lose a limb trying to escape. If the animal is able to survive the trauma, limb loss will undoubtedly affect its ability to find, catch or eat food, or even outrun a predator. </p>
<p>Limb loss affects every species differently. Foxes, for example, do eat meat but also fruit, vegetables and insects. This omnivorous diet and their <a href="https://www.countryliving.com/uk/wildlife/countryside/a34916405/what-do-foxes-eat/">willingness to scavenge from humans</a> probably contributed to the two legged fox’s survival as it doesn’t have to hunt prey. </p>
<h2>Learning to live with it</h2>
<p>Diet flexibility is not an option for carnivores however. The survival chances of a carnivore who loses a limb depends upon which limb or how much of it is lost. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://bvajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1136/vr.146.6.155">study comparing how dogs move with and without amputations</a> found dogs use front limbs to slow down whereas back limbs are used for moving forward. So losing a back leg means they won’t be able to move as fast. Dogs carry more weight on their front legs so their centre of gravity changes more when a front limb is lost. This will make balancing harder, at least initially. </p>
<p>Both of these changes will affect other four-limbed animals and have serious repercussions on the ability of a predator to catch prey. </p>
<p>In 2011, an adult male lion’s back limb was severed by a poacher’s snare in Uganda, a fate which is <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2022/08/snares-low-tech-low-profile-killers-of-rare-wildlife-the-world-over/">common across the world</a>. However, he <a href="https://mymodernmet.com/clarence-the-lion-murchison-falls-national-park/">seems to have endured</a> at least five years in Murchison Falls National Park. The sight of a three-legged adult lioness struggling on a muddy river bank in Kafue National Park, Zambia in 2016 <a href="https://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/three-legged-lionness-snares/">prompted an initiative to remove snares</a> in the park. Although it was clearly tough for her, the lioness was surviving. </p>
<p>Both lions’ injury was to a back leg. When hunting large prey like buffalo, lions launch themselves on to the prey using their back limbs, hold on with their front limbs and use their body weight to slow the prey down. </p>
<p>Lions may also use their front limbs to swipe at a prey’s legs during the chase. But crucially, front claws can be used to grip the prey’s neck or head either while delivering the killing bite to the throat or while the lion’s jaw is clamped around the prey’s nose and mouth. The loss of a back limb will make the chase and catch harder. However, the loss of a front leg would affect their ability to kill prey by themselves.</p>
<p>Since lions live in groups, the injured lions may have been able to depend on family members to provide support during a hunt or, more likely, access to food once it has been caught. </p>
<p>Lone hunters, such as male tigers, use their paws <a href="https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/handle/10088/4410/Seidensticker1993.pdf">in a similar way to lions during a hunt</a> but do not normally rely on other tigers’ help. Incredibly though, a healthy looking male tiger was <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna19634022">caught on camera</a> in 2007 with the lower part of his right leg missing in Tesso Nilo National Park, Sumatra. Like all big cats, tigers eat a wide variety of prey from <a href="https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1469-7998.2011.00871.x?casa_token=wyWHA32favcAAAAA%3APNEaYhJULgc3bIvRtvDgazqpMec6MCixPOccIwgeuYsxqOq35XV7yDYzTIW8a7EntGN8dXiMh0geF6I#jzo871-bib-0037">birds to large deer</a>. The injured male may have focused on hunting small prey, which tigers can kill with a bite to the back of the neck. The injured tiger may have also turned to easier sources of food than wild prey such as livestock. </p>
<h2>The devastating effect of snares</h2>
<p>Snares are a problem the world over. While working in South Africa as a guide just over a decade ago, I saw elephants with amputated trunks, sometimes up to two thirds shorter than they should have been. Trunks are <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/elephant-baby-no-trunk-snaring-crocodile-poaching-news">invaluable to an elephant</a> because they have such short necks. An elephant’s trunk allows it to drink, pluck fruit and grass with pinpoint accuracy, pull down out of reach branches and transfer food to their mouth. Elephants also use their trucks to greet and communicate with other elephants. </p>
<p>And yet, some are able to adapt to trunk injuries, probably because elephants have <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/elephant-baby-no-trunk-snaring-crocodile-poaching-news">close family bonds</a>. I do not recall seeing any lone elephants with these injuries. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/554039/original/file-20231016-17-i1urrx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Small mammal with yellow eyes perches on tree branch." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/554039/original/file-20231016-17-i1urrx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/554039/original/file-20231016-17-i1urrx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/554039/original/file-20231016-17-i1urrx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/554039/original/file-20231016-17-i1urrx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/554039/original/file-20231016-17-i1urrx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/554039/original/file-20231016-17-i1urrx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/554039/original/file-20231016-17-i1urrx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">African palm civits are small mammals with a cat-like body.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/nandinia-binotata-african-palm-civet-female-1821427172">Michal Sloviak/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A <a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1523-1739.1998.96027.x?casa_token=ZcrJtuh9cXIAAAAA%3APBv-gm6fZnIIfzfJ_UDz96dChlndIZzX-Kw0RT8bOmg5cIyjxGEAr66u7bdl7QfkjF2Nme4FaRzFi-I">study in Central Africa Republic found</a> 38% of animals (including elephants, gorillas and pangolins) caught in snares managed to break them and escape, albeit with the snare still attached to them. But 3% left their limb behind (including African brush-tailed porcupines, small mammals called African palm civets and a type of small antelope called duikers). Another <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320723004044?casa_token=MiVc0bfh-moAAAAA:fOGu3cqUi--r8oJ3gcDUPzpThv9eSCS6ZrtrxzDUuambJpCnMO70xq6lm0StwSMgS0XtOtKS#bb0145">study from India</a> that looked at camera trap images reported sloth bears, leopards, elephants, sambar deer and dhole wild dogs with snares around their bodies.</p>
<p>It shows incredible resilience that these animals survived a snare without succumbing to shock, exhaustion, blood loss or infection, as so many other animals inevitably do. These wild miracles are more than an inspiration – they should be a wake-up call for the damage humans are doing to animals globally.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/198112/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tara Pirie does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>When wild animals survive the initial trauma, blood loss and infection risk without medical help, it’s astonishing that they can adapt to life with three limbs.Tara Pirie, Lecturer in Ecology and Conservation, University of SurreyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2136162023-09-28T10:59:19Z2023-09-28T10:59:19ZThe first dog-fox hybrid points to the growing risk to wild animals of domestic species<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/550594/original/file-20230927-29-aemwmg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=17%2C17%2C2977%2C1971&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A pampas fox</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/pampas-grey-fox-la-pampa-argentina-530636404">Foto 4440/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Next time you see a fox when out walking with your dog, pause for a moment and ponder their relatedness. Dogs and foxes are <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10577-007-1203-5">distinct but distantly related canine species</a>. </p>
<p>Until recently, scientists thought it was impossible for them to breed. However, the discovery of a dog-fox hybrid in Brazil suggests that The Fox and the Hound might sometimes be a little more Lady and the Tramp.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/15/2505">recent identification of the dog-fox hybrid</a> known as a “dogxim” (a cross between dog and <em>graxaim-do-campo</em>, the Portuguese name for pampas fox) in Brazil also raises concerns about the impact that our pet dogs might have on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2007.03417.x">wild animal populations and their survival</a>. </p>
<p>This female, dog-like creature was first noticed when she was she was hit by a car and taken to a wildlife rehabilitation facility. The staff at the wildlife centre noticed she had a strange mix of <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/15/2505#B64-animals-13-02505">physical and behavioural characteristics</a>. </p>
<p>Her pricked ears and preference for eating small mammals seemed fox-like, but her barking was more reminiscent of a dog. Throughout the centuries there have been <a href="https://vethelpdirect.com/vetblog/2023/04/30/can-a-dog-and-a-fox-breed/">unverified reports</a> of fox-dog hybrids, but none have been confirmed before with genetic testing. </p>
<p>Genetic testing revealed that she was a hybrid between a female pampas fox (<em><a href="https://academic.oup.com/mspecies/article/doi/10.1644/820.1/2600864">Lycalopex gymnocercus</a></em>) and a male domestic dog <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?id=9615">(<em>Canis lupus familiaris</em>)</a>. This is the first documented case of a dog-fox hybrid. Genetic analysis revealed she had a total of 76 chromosomes, compared to the 78 chromosomes of the domestic dog and 74 of the pampas fox.</p>
<h2>What is a hybrid?</h2>
<p>Hybridisation is when <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1420-9101.2012.02599.x">two species mate and produce offspring with mixed genetic ancestry</a>. Normally, animals only mate with members of their own species. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/fact-sheets/Chromosomes-Fact-Sheet">Differences in the number of chromosomes</a> (the structure in which DNA is packaged within the cell nucleus) often make species genetically incompatible with each other. Mating behaviour and courtship rituals tend to be individual to a species, <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00114-021-01742-0">such as the vocalisations of rutting deer</a>, as is reproductive anatomy and physiology.</p>
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<p>Many well-known hybrids, such as <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2405-8440(20)32018-1">mules (horse and donkey)</a>, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/mrd.22074">ligers (male lion and female tiger) and tigons (male tiger and female lion)</a>, are a result of human intervention. A lion and tiger would never meet naturally in the wild, as their native ranges are too far apart. </p>
<p>The more closely related (and thus genetically alike) two species are, the higher the chance of successful hybridisation. For example, <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1004016">dogs (<em>Canis lupus familiaris</em>) and grey wolves (<em>Canis lupus)</em></a> only diverged between 11,000 and 35,000 years ago. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5978975/">Wolf-dog hybrids</a> are <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/eva.12595">relatively common</a> because their genetics, reproductive anatomy and behaviour are still fairly similar.</p>
<p>Most hybrids are sterile, meaning they are biological dead-ends. Even if differences in chromosome <a href="https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/fact-sheets/Chromosomes-Fact-Sheet">numbers and behaviour</a> don’t prevent two species from producing young, it may <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mec.14471">make the hybrid infertile</a>. </p>
<h2>How common are hybrids?</h2>
<p>Hybrids are more widespread than you might think - they are all around us in the plant world, both natural and as a result of human intervention. </p>
<p>Research suggests that approximately <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8774782/">25% of plant and 10% of animal species</a> have been affected by interbreeding in the wild. </p>
<p>Many domesticated species can breed with their <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13364-017-0331-3">wild relatives</a> too. In Poland, a 2018 study found high numbers of free-living wild boars had domestic genes, for example.</p>
<p>Hybrid offspring are not always infertile, and some people are concerned about how this affects the long-term survival and purity of individual species. Hybrids <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/animals/2022/09/the-quest-to-save-the-worlds-rarest-canine-faces-setbacks">can outcompete and eventually even replace</a> their parent species. For endangered species with small, fragile populations, this is a serious threat. In the case of the dogxim, her fertility was not verified. Sadly, <a href="https://metro.co.uk/2023/09/19/dogxim-dog-fox-hybrid-mystery-brazil-19521745/">reports suggest she has since died</a>, so we will probably never know. </p>
<h2>Why are hybrids controversial?</h2>
<p>Hybridisation is important in the evolution of species, allowing populations to <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-018-0777-y">adapt to changing environments</a>. Early humans are widely recognised in science to have <a href="https://academic.oup.com/genetics/article/218/1/iyab052/6205711?login=true">mated with Neanderthals</a>, helping our ancestors survive in some harsh environments. Long term, hybrids can lead to the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-020-1116-9">development of entirely new species</a>.</p>
<p>But there are also negative consequences. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/hdy199031">Physical abnormalities are common in hybrids</a> including changes to skull, dental and horn structures, <a href="https://journals.co.za/doi/abs/10.10520/EJC96987">as seen in hybrid wildebeest</a>. </p>
<p>Hybridisation is also a problem for <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-5347(01)02290-X">vulnerable populations or endangered species</a>, leading to reduced fitness and therefore the survival of individuals and even whole populations. The Scottish wildcat wild population, for instance, is now <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mec.16000">almost entirely made up of</a> wildcat-domestic cat hybrids. </p>
<h2>What does the dog-fox hybrid tell us?</h2>
<p>The dog-pampas fox hybrid strongly suggests that contact between wild and domestic species is increasing, possibly because of <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/gcb.16476">human settlements encroaching</a> on wild habitats. This can also <a href="https://www.scielo.br/j/bjb/a/3nNwm9ykHrD8KKrkfzxRCRJ/?lang=en">significantly increase disease transmission risks</a>.</p>
<p>The dogxim might well be a warning of the destructive impact humans and domesticated animals are having on biodiversity. We don’t know how many other hybrids may be living in the wild. Although the <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=pampas%20fox&searchType=species">pampas fox is not considered endangered</a>, this example of hybridisation between a domestic and wild species signals the importance of monitoring interactions between different species, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/eva.12595">to protect vulnerable or numerically low populations</a>. </p>
<p>It is important to note that the pampas fox species is very different to the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?mode=Info&id=9627&lvl=3&lin=f">red fox (<em>Vulpes vulpes</em>)</a>. We probably do not need to worry about creating dog-fox hybrids on our daily dog walks, because of the genetic distance between the two. However, the dogxim should warn us that our dogs’ interactions with nature can have unexpected consequences.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/213616/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jacqueline Boyd is affiliated with The Kennel Club (UK) through membership, as Chair of the Activities Health and Welfare Subgroup and member of the Dog Health Group. Jacqueline also writes, consults and coaches on canine matters on an independent basis in addition to her academic affiliation.</span></em></p>Scientists had thought a ‘dogxim’ was impossible until one was discovered in BrazilJacqueline Boyd, Senior Lecturer in Animal Science, Nottingham Trent UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2116212023-09-04T11:45:11Z2023-09-04T11:45:11ZWhy not all urban foxes deserve their ‘bin-raiding’ reputation<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/543500/original/file-20230818-25254-4i3t24.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=16%2C8%2C5447%2C3628&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/cute-red-fox-standing-on-sand-2141051945">AngelaLouwe/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Ever since their colonisation of British cities sometime during the last century, urban red foxes (<em>Vulpes vulpes</em>) have become somewhat of a cultural phenomenon. Some people love them for their striking marmalade coats but others, including former <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/feb/10/boris-johnson-urban-foxes-menace">prime minister</a> Boris Johnson, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/15/urban-foxes-are-they-fantastic-or-a-growing-menace">think of them as a menace</a>.</p>
<p>In recent times, people seem to think urban foxes are <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/insider/london-foxes-urban-population-dangerous-b1001710.html">becoming bolder</a> and more cunning, “<a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/urban-foxes-the-ginger-menace/">wreaking havoc in central London</a>” by scavenging in bins for food scraps. But our <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003347223001689?via%3Dihub">recent study</a> suggests that this popular portrayal may only be partially true for the species.</p>
<p>Cities are dynamic places. The people, traffic, smells, noises and opportunities for food are constantly changing. This, in theory, should be ideal for bolder animals who would have the confidence to exploit resources like outdoor bins, for instance, despite the risk of coming into conflict with humans. Cunning animals <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abe7808">would also be good at</a> learning to push, pull or lift human-made materials such as bin lids and food containers to extract discarded food. </p>
<p>In our recent study, we tested whether urban foxes have indeed become bolder and more cunning by comparing them to their countryside cousins. We gave a series of puzzle feeders to foxes in 104 urban and rural locations across a large area, from London to Edinburgh, and left them in place for two weeks. The food inside each puzzle could be released through simple actions such as removing lids or pulling sticks to dislodge food from pipes.</p>
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<h2>Playing for your food</h2>
<p>Across all of our study locations, 96 foxes acknowledged the objects, most of which showed an initial avoidance of the puzzles. Around a third (31) touched the puzzles, but only 12 of those foxes persisted long enough to extract the food. We found urban foxes were more likely to interact with the puzzles than rural ones, suggesting they were bolder. </p>
<p>However, when it came to their willingness to solve the puzzles, there was no difference between the two populations. The lack of persistence we recorded during our research, even for puzzles containing large rewards (90 dog biscuits), contradicts the notion that urban foxes regularly exploit another type of puzzle that humans leave out – household waste bins. </p>
<p>To confirm that foxes were interested in the food but lacked the motivation to exploit the puzzle contents, we returned to some of our study locations six months later and left the same food on the ground without a puzzle. All of these foxes ate the food without hesitation.</p>
<p>So, while some foxes do indeed raid bins, our findings suggest that perhaps this doesn’t happen as often as people might think due to foxes’ aversion to risk and effort. Instead, this belief about city foxes may come from accounts from specific populations or highly publicised cases, but not from urban foxes in general. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/543501/original/file-20230818-25-yxmgtx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Fox looks at litter bin." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/543501/original/file-20230818-25-yxmgtx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/543501/original/file-20230818-25-yxmgtx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543501/original/file-20230818-25-yxmgtx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543501/original/file-20230818-25-yxmgtx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543501/original/file-20230818-25-yxmgtx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543501/original/file-20230818-25-yxmgtx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543501/original/file-20230818-25-yxmgtx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Foxes have a reputation for raiding bins.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/red-fox-vulpes-278937779">Jamie Hall/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Our experimental study is <a href="https://www.jagersvereniging.nl/content/uploads/2016/02/2003-Mammalian-Biology-The-diet-of-urban-foxes-vulpes-vulpes-in-Zurich.pdf">consistent with findings</a> from other research on fox diet, <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0115124">direct observations</a> of urban foxes, and <a href="https://cales.arizona.edu/pubs/adjunct/snr0704/snr07042k.pdf">household surveys</a>, all of which indicate that the notion of foxes as prolific bin raiders is <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2907.1981.tb00003.x">not typical of the species</a>. Other factors beyond boldness may lead some foxes to rummage through bins, such as when containers have no lids or when they lack barriers to block access, which we are investigating in follow-up studies.</p>
<h2>What does this mean for foxes and people?</h2>
<p>Foxes are ecologically important to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1146609X06000208">urban green spaces</a>, so people need to find ways of living amicably alongside them. Indeed, by simply disposing of our waste properly, for example, we can discourage many of them from hanging around our bins.</p>
<p>Foxes are one of the most widespread carnivores on the planet and urban sprawl grew by <a href="https://journals.plos.org/sustainabilitytransformation/article?id=10.1371/journal.pstr.0000034#:%7E:text=The%20global%20value%20of%20urban,1.16%20km2%20per%20hour.">45% from 1990-2014</a>, and keeps increasing. So it’s getting harder for foxes and humans to avoid each other. </p>
<p>At the moment, surveys show foxes are currently one of the <a href="https://www.rsb.org.uk/news/hedgehog-wins-favourite-uk-mammal-poll">most beloved mammals in the UK</a>, but this could change as they become bolder due to greater opportunities for conflict with people. Our study and others, however, show the importance of having objective data to guide public perceptions about a species as their portrayal within popular culture may not always be rooted in reality.</p>
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<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><strong><em>Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?</em></strong>
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<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211621/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dr Morton's research was funded by grants from NERC and the University of Hull.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kristy Adaway does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Research shows urban foxes may not be getting more cunning, as people believe.Blake Morton, Lecturer of Animal Psychology, University of HullKristy Adaway, PhD Candidate in Animal Psychology , University of HullLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2045672023-05-23T11:14:46Z2023-05-23T11:14:46ZHow Alien mutated from a sci-fi horror film into a multimedia universe<p>A new life form was born on May 25 1979 when an alien exploded from the chest of a bewildered officer aboard the commercial towing vessel, Nostromo. The alien that comes to be known as the xenomorph escapes, grows, stalks and kills all but one of the ship’s crew. The lone human survivor, Ellen Ripley, played by Sigourney Weaver, blasts it into deep space turning it and her into icons. </p>
<p>We are, of course, talking about the cinematic classic, Alien.</p>
<p>But what was born that day was not just a horrifying monster. It would become a fully fledged fictional world that, in the four decades following, has become an indelible part of our popular culture. And it is a topic we explore in our new book, <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/alien-legacies-9780197556030?cc=gb&lang=en&">Alien Legacies</a>.</p>
<p>Though initially conceived as a cash-in on the popularity of science fiction in the aftermath of Star Wars, Alien grew from a hugely successful film into not only a franchise but a whole universe. It spawned three sequels - James Cameron’s Aliens (1986), David Fincher’s Alien3 (1992) and Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Alien Resurrection (1997). </p>
<p>There were also two prequels - Prometheus (2012) and Alien Covenant (2017), which were both directed by Scott. And finally, there was a spin-off “mashup” franchise - Alien vs Predator directed by Paul WS Anderson (2004), and its sequel Requiem (2007). </p>
<p>It has inspired innovation and creativity beyond the films. There have been novelisations, video games, audiobooks, comics and <a href="https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/%E2%80%98Ages-five-and-up%E2%80%99%3A-Alien-toys-for-children-and-the-Antunes-Plowman/37a5b6f9d25db0aa08a24322bd82cbcd7bd87d87">toys</a>.</p>
<p>The first two films, Alien and Aliens, have enjoyed considerable scrutiny given their cultural presence and resonance for debates concerning gender, technology and genetics. </p>
<p>But what has received less focus is what Alien has become. The franchise has proliferated and mutated across various forms of media while staying true to its cinematic origins.</p>
<p>Alien, like Star Wars, is what we can now call a “transmedia franchise”. It has pioneered ways of expanding storytelling across media boundaries. Our book examines the transmedia universe as a whole, addressing the original films, the prequels and everything that followed. </p>
<p>The franchise has been open to adopting new methods and ideas, as well as adapting to changes in new media technology and politics. </p>
<p>In fact, one almost entirely neglected aspect of the Alien universe we explore are documents purporting to be “real” crew profiles, training manuals and diaries that expand upon and develop our knowledge and understanding of this fictional world. </p>
<p>One of the extras on the 2010 Alien Anthology Blu-ray collection was a special feature called Weyland-Yutani Inquest: Nostromo Dossiers. This was a collection of corporate documents detailing the professional lives of the Nostromo spaceship crew.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">From The Weyland-Yutani Report: A look at the Nostromo’s crew including past employment and personal life details.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Some of this material, such as the <a href="https://avp.fandom.com/wiki/Aliens:_Colonial_Marines_Technical_Manual">Colonial Marines Technical Manual</a>, has been created by fans. It found its way into gaming instalments of the franchise having been picked up and explored by the many creative artists and writers who have worked in the Alien universe. These include Aliens versus Predator, Aliens versus Predator: Extinction and Aliens: Colonial Marines (2013).</p>
<p>The attempt by media companies to control and manage fan practice is not new, but it demands our attention. <a href="https://ew.com/movies/2019/03/13/alien-trailer-shorts-40th-anniversary/">Inviting people</a> to pitch their own short films set in the Alien universe to mark the fortieth anniversary in 2019 was a canny means by 20th Century Fox to curry favour with the fans of the series. </p>
<p>Similarly, transmedia marketing campaigns have grown to include fictional evil corporate websites, exclusive events at conventions, personalised advertising and franchise universe websites. </p>
<p>We argue that Alien’s transmedia marketing is <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dorothypomerantz/2012/04/18/prometheus-when-movie-marketing-goes-very-right/">particularly captivating</a> because it is closely linked to the film’s production. As a result, these marketing campaigns are arguably becoming as creative and entertaining as the films themselves. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">The transmedia marketing campaign for the Prometheus film.</span></figcaption>
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<p>The Alien series asks existential questions uncommon in mainstream blockbuster cinema about the origins and destiny of humanity and the dividing line between the human and the machine. </p>
<p>Alien should not be seen, as popular culture so often is, as unimportant or irrelevant to our understanding of ourselves as a species. It has the potential to contribute to our knowledge and enlightenment. </p>
<p>The continuing debate among scholars and fans surrounding the Alien franchise demonstrates how popular culture can bridge disciplinary boundaries and make complex academic debates more accessible. It helps us better understand the significant questions we must ponder as humans. </p>
<p>We hope our book will contribute to conversations about Alien. It explores its relevance to contemporary debates and paves the way for future studies on the franchise. After all, it has entered an uncertain <a href="https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/World-building%2C-Retconning-and-Legacy-Rebooting%3A-Fleury/01dd0b7bc45907cf1f56e55e1237c6d3678609af">new phase</a> under the control of a new owner. </p>
<p>In 2019, Disney bought Fox and with it the rights to Alien. And Disney is a company that, throughout its history, has shown itself willing and able to adapt and build upon all aspects of its holdings in a variety of ways. </p>
<p>This starts with <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/new-alien-movie-set-to-begin-production-this-month-as-cast-and-synopsis-is-revealed">Fede Alvarez’s untitled Alien film</a>, currently in production, and set for release via Disney’s Hulu streaming service. </p>
<p>Fans and academics will both probably continue to chase Ripley and the xenomorphs across the cosmos for the next forty years.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/204567/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nathan Abrams has received and continues to receive funding from charitable organisations and research councils.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gregory Frame has in the past received funding from disciplinary subject associations and research councils.</span></em></p>A new book explores the enormous Alien franchise spawned by the 1979 film.Nathan Abrams, Professor of Film Studies, Bangor UniversityGregory Frame, Teaching Associate in Film and Television Studies, University of NottinghamLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2019362023-03-23T12:39:42Z2023-03-23T12:39:42ZHow ‘Succession’ feeds the hidden fantasies of its well-to-do viewers<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/516416/original/file-20230320-20-bejszf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=172%2C8%2C1468%2C1069&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Where's the appeal in watching a group of obnoxious, pampered, backstabbing siblings?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://static.hbo.com/2021-10/succession-ka-1920_0.jpg">HBO</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>“<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7660850/">Succession</a>” has returned for its fourth and final season, giving the show’s fans one last opportunity to watch <a href="https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a22638435/hbo-succession-review/">the kids of the wealthy Roy family</a> desperately try to gain the approval of their media mogul father by any means necessary.</p>
<p>I’ve watched every episode. But at one point, I started to wonder: Where’s the appeal in watching a group of obnoxious, pampered, backstabbing siblings?</p>
<p>Inspired by the family of Fox Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch, with themes and a premise <a href="https://www.folger.edu/blogs/shakespeare-and-beyond/of-roys-and-kings-the-shadow-of-succession/">pulled from</a> Shakespeare’s “<a href="http://shakespeare.mit.edu/lear/full.html">King Lear</a>,” “Succession” tells the story of an aging patriarch who must decide which of his four children will replace him at the top. </p>
<p>It’s easy to assume that much of the show’s appeal lies in its playful critiques of right-wing media and the billionaire class.</p>
<p>But in my view, the show actually caters to an audience that wants to condemn the main characters – while secretly identifying with their pursuit of power and pleasure.</p>
<h2>The contradictions of the liberal class</h2>
<p>As New York Times columnist David Brooks argued in his book “<a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Bobos-in-Paradise/David-Brooks/9780684853789">Bobos in Paradise</a>” – “bobo” a portmanteau of “bohemian” and “bourgeois” – contemporary America is full of upper-middle class professionals who long to be seen as virtuous artists, even as they engage in the relentless pursuit of money and success that allow them to ascend the ranks of the bourgeois class. </p>
<p>To hide the guilt they may feel for their capitalistic careerism, they look to signal their virtue and style through their consumption habits. They might pay more money to purchase a hybrid car so they can appear to be good stewards of the environment. Or they might fork over an extra buck or two to buy fair trade coffee. </p>
<p>Art also plays a role in status signaling. In his book “<a href="https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674212770">Distinction</a>,” sociologist Pierre Bourdieu explained how class status and an appreciation of the arts are often intertwined. Wealthy people, he points out, have the time and resources to spend on activities that serve no direct practical function. </p>
<p>The working classes, however, have to constantly think about necessity and their limited time and money. </p>
<p>Bourdieu ultimately argues that the masses tend to avoid engaging with art and watching films and movies that place form over function because they do not have the luxury to spend time and money on these experiences. </p>
<h2>It’s HBO – not mass TV</h2>
<p>Like so many other <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Legitimating-Television-Media-Convergence-and-Cultural-Status/Newman-Levine/p/book/9780415880268">acclaimed premium cable TV shows</a>, “Succession” targets the very viewers – middle class and upper-middle class professionals – who can afford to pay for monthly streaming subscriptions. </p>
<p>To draw in these viewers, HBO needs to differentiate itself from TV networks and other streaming services. It does this, in part, by including nudity, violence and profanity <a href="https://www.tvguide.com/news/features/tv-censorship-nudity-profanity/">that wouldn’t be permitted on network TV</a>. It also seeks to highlight its series’ high production value.</p>
<p>In “Succession,” the series’ uncensored speech and behavior gives it a sense of gritty realism. But the show is also eager to flaunt its cinematic flair: <a href="https://nofilmschool.com/succession-cinematography">strange camera angles</a> and <a href="https://www.kodak.com/en/motion/blog-post/succession">saturated colors</a> suffuse each scene. These aesthetic techniques create a distancing effect on the audience; it is hard to escape a sense that this is a carefully crafted, fake world. </p>
<p>As I argue in my book “<a href="https://www.routledge.com/Political-Pathologies-from-The-Sopranos-to-Succession-Prestige-TV-and-the/Samuels/p/book/9781032403397">Political Pathologies from The Sopranos to Succession</a>,” this combination of the real and the fake allows prestige TV shows like “Succession” to present themselves as both a mirror of the world and a fictional painting full of stylistic flourishes.</p>
<p>This distance and duality allow the audience to feel like it’s a part of this world, while giving viewers the space to sever themselves from any sort of complicity and identification with the worst excesses of the show’s characters.</p>
<h2>Having it both ways</h2>
<p>Just as upper-middle class professionals may seek to hide their crass materialism through virtue signaling and status-based consumption, the show uses its own irony to reveal that it knows what it is doing, so that it can keep on catering to viewers’ anti-social desires. </p>
<p>The show’s well-to-do viewers may wish they could curse out their co-workers and underlings or indulge in wildly expensive luxuries, but they know that they have to restrain themselves – the rules of their social worlds demand it – and so they turn to fantasy and popular media to live out their repressed desires. </p>
<p>Like the politicians who say one thing but act in another contradictory way, the series itself sends two opposing messages simultaneously. One message is that people should all be free to say and do what they want. The other message is that this type of selfish behavior must be rejected because it undermines society and personal relationships.</p>
<p>New Yorker writer Janet Malcolm, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/17/business/media/janet-malcolm-dead.html">who died in 2021</a>, often explored the ways in which these contradictions were ingrained in American culture. As she writes in her book “<a href="https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/99/04/25/specials/malcolm-murderer.html">The Journalist and the Murderer</a>,” “Society mediates between the extremes of, on the one hand, intolerably strict morality and, on the other, dangerously anarchic permissiveness … Hypocrisy is the grease that keeps society functioning in an agreeable way, by allowing for human fallibility and reconciling the seemingly irreconcilable human needs for order and pleasure.”</p>
<p>One of the main ways that the opposing forces of social order and individual pleasure are mediated is through <a href="https://www.press.umich.edu/231833/chic_ironic_bitterness">humor and irony</a>. The key to comedy, then, is that it allows people to both say and unsay the same thing – to transgress but be protected by the guise of humor. </p>
<p>In “Succession,” characters, like Tom, will state something and then immediately take it back and qualify it. Throughout the series, he is constantly threatening his younger colleague, Greg, before backtracking and telling him that he is only kidding – only to repeat the same threat again.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Tom and Greg meet for the first time in the show’s first season.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The power of cable news</h2>
<p>The contradictions of the show’s characters – and the liberal class, more broadly – are mirrored in the past few decades of American politics. </p>
<p>One example of this is former U.S. president Bill Clinton, who <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/third-way-dlc-bill-clinton-tony-blair-1990s-politics/">ushered in a political strategy</a> called the “third way.” In order to maintain power, the Democratic president often pushed through Republican policies like <a href="https://www.history.com/news/clinton-1990s-welfare-reform-facts">welfare reform</a>, <a href="https://prospect.org/health/fabulous-failure-clinton-s-1990s-origins-times/">financial deregulation</a> and <a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/1994-crime-bill-and-beyond-how-federal-funding-shapes-criminal-justice">the war on drugs</a>. Underpinning this ideology is the desire to be both conservative and liberal at the same time. </p>
<p>Over time, the Democratic Party <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/11/democrats-long-goodbye-to-the-working-class/672016/">became representative of upper-middle class elites who still wanted to be seen as progressives</a>. The Republican party, meanwhile, hid its focus on policies catering to the super wealthy by <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/03/07/college-degree-status-working-class-blue-collar-politics/">pretending to care about the plight</a> of the abandoned white working class. </p>
<p>In both of these cases, cable news and <a href="https://www.npr.org/2012/06/21/155501538/the-newsroom-caught-up-in-a-partisan-divide">fictional media</a> have played a big role in concealing the tensions of class conflict behind the wall of a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44808-4">culture war</a>.</p>
<p>In “Succession,” Waystar RoyCo, the right-wing news conglomerate owned by Logan Roy, often fans the flames of the culture war. For his part, Logan often claims that he controls the president, and it is up to him to pick the nation’s next leader. Logan’s power, then, does not come primarily from his money but from his media influence. </p>
<p>Since the media is positioned as the show’s most powerful political entity, I sometimes wonder what “Succession” is saying about its own status as a popular TV show. Is the series claiming that it has immense social power, or does it use humor and metafiction to free itself from any responsibility? </p>
<p>The answer to these questions has to be both yes and no: The series reflects the country’s political reality – but it also feeds the underlying fantasies that shape viewers’ political beliefs.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/201936/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Robert Samuels does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Do the show’s fans secretly identify with the characters’ pursuit of power and pleasure?Robert Samuels, Continuing Lecturer in Writing, University of California, Santa BarbaraLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1478942020-10-28T12:23:51Z2020-10-28T12:23:51ZFox News viewers write about ‘BLM’ the same way CNN viewers write about ‘KKK’<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/365598/original/file-20201026-19-14s6zxn.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C675%2C539&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Talking politics increasingly seems like an exercise in talking past one another.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/illustration/retro-vector-of-a-young-woman-and-virtual-royalty-free-illustration/1128365610?adppopup=true">GeorgePeters/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>It’s no secret that U.S. politics <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/interactives/political-polarization-1994-2017/">has become highly polarized</a>. </p>
<p>Even so, there are probably few living Americans who ever witnessed anything that quite compares with <a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-virus-outbreak-donald-trump-health-aeab14ec95426d4161f1cff966a26a1f">this fall’s first presidential debate</a>. </p>
<p>Was it really the case that the nation could do no better than a verbal food fight, with two candidates hurling fourth-grade insults and talking past each other?</p>
<p>To us, the discordant debate was just one more symptom of the nation’s fraying civic discourse, which, in a recent study, we were able to show extends to the words we use to talk about politics.</p>
<p>Earlier this year, we started constructing a data set that consists of all of the viewer comments on YouTube videos posted by four television networks – MSNBC, CNN, Fox News and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/article/oann-trump.html">One America News Network</a> – that <a href="https://www.journalism.org/2014/10/21/section-1-media-sources-distinct-favorites-emerge-on-the-left-and-right/">target slices of the political spectrum</a>. Together, the data set contains over 85 million comments on over 200,000 videos from 6.5 million viewers since 2014. </p>
<p>We studied whether there are distinct variants of English written in the comments sections, akin to the distinction between <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/british-english-bre-1689039">British English</a> and <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/American%20English">American English</a>. </p>
<p>Using machine learning methods, we found these permutations do exist. Moreover, we can rank them in terms of the “left-ness” and the “right-ness.” To the best of our knowledge, this is the first empirical demonstration of quantifiable linguistic differences in news audiences.</p>
<p>Our second finding, however, was even more unexpected. </p>
<p>Our machine learning translation system found that words with vastly different meanings, like “KKK” and “BLM,” were used in the exact same contexts depending on the YouTube channel being analyzed.</p>
<h2>The company a word keeps</h2>
<p>When translating two different languages – say, Spanish and English – automated translation systems like Google Translate begin with a large training set of texts in both languages. The system then applies machine learning methods to become better at translating. </p>
<p>Over the years, <a href="https://arxiv.org/pdf/1702.03859.pdf">this technology has become increasingly accurate</a>, thanks to two key insights. </p>
<p>The first dates back to the 1950s, when linguist <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Rupert_Firth">John Rupert Firth</a> came up with the aphorism “You shall know a word by the company it keeps.” </p>
<p>To modern machine translation systems, the “company” a word keeps is its “context,” or the words surrounding it. For example, the English word “grape” occurs in contexts such as “grape juice” and “grape vine,” while the equivalent word in Spanish, <em>uva</em>, occurs in the same contexts – <em>jugo de uva</em>, <em>vid de uva</em> – in Spanish sentences. </p>
<p>The second important discovery came rather recently. A <a href="https://arxiv.org/pdf/1309.4168.pdf">2013 study</a> found a way to identify – and thereby link – a word’s context in one language to its context in another. Modern machine translation depends heavily on this process. </p>
<p>What we have done is to use this type of translation <a href="https://arxiv.org/pdf/2010.02339.pdf">in an entirely new way</a>: to translate English to English.</p>
<h2>When ‘Trumptards’ become ‘snowflakes’</h2>
<p>That may sound bizarre. Why translate English to English? </p>
<p>Well, consider American English and British English. Many words are the same in both languages. Yet there can be subtle differences. For instance, “apartment” in American English may translate into “flat” in British English. </p>
<p>For the purposes of our study, we labeled the language used in each network’s comment section “MSNBC-English,” “CNN-English,” “Fox-English” and “OneAmerica-English.” After analyzing the comments, our translation algorithms uncovered two different patterns of “misaligned words” – terms that aren’t identical across the comment sections but are used in the same contexts.</p>
<p>One type was similar to “flat” and “apartment,” in the sense that both are describing ostensibly the same thing. However, the word pairs we uncovered have different intonations. For example, we found that what one community calls “Pelosi,” the other one calls “Pelousy”; and “Trump” in one news-language translates into “Drumpf” in another. </p>
<p>A second – and deeper – kind of misalignment occurred when the two words refer to two fundamentally different things. </p>
<p>For example, we found that in CNN-English, “KKK” – the abbreviation for the Ku Klux Klan – is translated by our algorithm to “BLM” – shorthand for Black Lives Matter – in Fox-English. The algorithm is basically finding that the comments made by one community about KKK are very much like the comments made by the other about BLM. While the belief systems of the KKK and BLM are about as different as can be, depending on the comment section, they seem to each represent something similarly ominous and threatening. </p>
<p>CNN-English and Fox-English are not the only two languages displaying these types of misalignments. The conservative end of the spectrum itself breaks into two languages. For example, “mask” in Fox-English translates to “muzzle” in OneAmerica-English, reflecting the differing attitudes across these subcommunities.</p>
<p>There seems to be a mirrorlike duality at play. “Conservatism” becomes “liberalism,” “red” is translated to “blue,” while “Cooper” is converted into “Hannity.” </p>
<p>There’s also no lack of what can only be called childish name-calling. </p>
<p>“Trumptards” in CNN-English translates to “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/nov/28/snowflake-insult-disdain-young-people">snowflakes</a>” in Fox-English; “Trumpty” in CNN-English translates to “Obummer” in Fox-English; and “republicunts” in CNN-English translates to “democraps” in Fox-English. </p>
<h2>Uncharted territory</h2>
<p>Linguists have long emphasized how effective communication among people with different beliefs <a href="https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020867916902">requires common ground</a>. Our findings show that the way we talk about political issues is becoming more divergent; depending on who’s writing, a common word can be imbued with an entirely different meaning. </p>
<p>[<em>Deep knowledge, daily.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/the-daily-3?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=deepknowledge">Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter</a>.]</p>
<p>We wonder: How far are we from the point of no return when these linguistic differences begin to erode the common ground needed for productive communication?</p>
<p>Have <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/facebook-twitter-echo-chamber-confirmation-bias/">echo chambers on social media</a> exacerbated political polarization to the point where these linguistic misalignments have become ingrained in political discourse?</p>
<p>When will “democracy” in one language variant stop translating into “democracy” in the other?</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/147894/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Using machine learning to study over 85 million YouTube comments, a research team has, for the first time, identified linguistic differences among cable news viewers.Mark Kamlet, University Professor of Economics and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon UniversityAshique KhudaBukhsh, Project Scientist at the School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon UniversityTom Mitchell, Founders University Professor of Machine Learning, Carnegie Mellon UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1314382020-07-02T12:26:07Z2020-07-02T12:26:07ZDo dogs really see in just black and white?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/343579/original/file-20200623-188900-3set3z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=286%2C557%2C4464%2C3080&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Don't worry that your dog's world is visually drab.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/high-angle-view-of-dog-walking-on-colorful-striped-royalty-free-image/677142241">Kevin Short/EyeEm via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/curious-kids-us-74795">Curious Kids</a> is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to <a href="mailto:curiouskidsus@theconversation.com">curiouskidsus@theconversation.com</a>.</em></p>
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<blockquote>
<p><strong>Do dogs really see in just black and white? – Oscar V., age 9, Somerville, Massachusetts</strong></p>
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<p>Dogs definitely see the world differently than people do, but it’s a myth that their view is <a href="https://www.hillspet.com/dog-care/resources/dog-myths">just black, white and grim shades of gray</a>. </p>
<p>While most people see a full spectrum of colors from red to violet, dogs lack some of the light receptors in their eyes that allow human beings to see certain colors, particularly in the red and green range. But canines can still see yellow and blue.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/344613/original/file-20200629-155299-i6prbp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/344613/original/file-20200629-155299-i6prbp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/344613/original/file-20200629-155299-i6prbp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=353&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344613/original/file-20200629-155299-i6prbp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=353&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344613/original/file-20200629-155299-i6prbp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=353&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344613/original/file-20200629-155299-i6prbp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=444&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344613/original/file-20200629-155299-i6prbp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=444&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344613/original/file-20200629-155299-i6prbp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=444&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Different wavelengths of light register as different colors in an animal’s visual system. Top is the human view; bottom is a dog’s eye view.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://dog-vision.andraspeter.com/tool.php">Top: iStock/Getty Images Plus via Getty Images. Bottom: As processed by András Péter's Dog Vision Image Processing Tool</a></span>
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<p>What you see as red or orange, to a dog may just be another shade of tan. To my dog, Sparky, a bright orange ball lying in the green grass may look like a tan ball in another shade of tan grass. But his bright blue ball will look similar to both of us. <a href="https://dog-vision.andraspeter.com/tool.php">An online image processing tool</a> lets you see for yourself what a particular picture looks like to your pet.</p>
<p>Animals can’t use spoken language to describe what they see, but researchers easily trained dogs to touch a lit-up color disc with their nose to get a treat. Then they trained the dogs to touch a disc that was a different color than some others. When the well-trained dogs couldn’t figure out which disc to press, the scientists knew that they couldn’t see the differences in color. These experiments showed that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/s0952523800004430">dogs could see only yellow and blue</a>.</p>
<p>In the back of our eyeballs, human beings’ retinas contain three types of special cone-shaped cells that are responsible for all the colors we can see. When scientists used a technique called electroretinography to measure the way dogs’ eyes react to light, they found that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0952523800003291">canines have fewer kinds of these cone cells</a>. Compared to people’s three kinds, dogs only have two types of cone receptors.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/344635/original/file-20200629-155334-1ktj47u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/344635/original/file-20200629-155334-1ktj47u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/344635/original/file-20200629-155334-1ktj47u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=393&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344635/original/file-20200629-155334-1ktj47u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=393&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344635/original/file-20200629-155334-1ktj47u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=393&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344635/original/file-20200629-155334-1ktj47u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=494&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344635/original/file-20200629-155334-1ktj47u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=494&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/344635/original/file-20200629-155334-1ktj47u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=494&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Light travels to the back of the eyeball, where it registers with rod and cone cells that send visual signals on to the brain.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/illustration/eye-anatomy-rod-cells-and-cone-cells-royalty-free-illustration/1091261988">iStock/Getty Images Plus via Getty Images</a></span>
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<p>Not only can dogs see fewer colors than we do, they probably don’t see as clearly as we do either. Tests show that both the structure and function of the dog eye leads them to <a href="https://ucdavis.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/vision-in-dogs">see things at a distance as more blurry</a>. While we think of perfect vision in humans as being 20/20, typical vision in dogs is probably closer to 20/75. This means that what a person with normal vision could see from 75 feet away, a dog would need to be just 20 feet away to see as clearly. Since dogs don’t read the newspaper, their visual acuity probably doesn’t interfere with their way of life.</p>
<p>There’s likely a lot of difference in visual ability between breeds. Over the years, breeders have selected sight-hunting dogs like greyhounds to have better vision than dogs like bulldogs.</p>
<p>But that’s not the end of the story. While people have a tough time seeing clearly in dim light, scientists believe dogs can probably see as well at dusk or dawn as they can in the bright middle of the day. This is because compared to humans’, dog retinas have a <a href="https://ucdavis.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/vision-in-dogs">higher percentage and type of another kind of visual receptor</a>. Called rod cells because of their shape, they function better in low light than cone cells do.</p>
<p>Dogs also have a reflective tissue layer at the back of their eyes that <a href="https://doi.org/10.3758/s13423-017-1404-7">helps them see in less light</a>. This mirror-like tapetum lucidum collects and concentrates the available light to help them see when it’s dark. The tapetum lucidum is what gives dogs and other mammals that glowing eye reflection when caught in your headlights at night or when you try to take a flash photo.</p>
<p>Dogs share their type of vision with many other animals, <a href="https://www.hillspet.com/cat-care/behavior-appearance/cat-vision">including cats</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0952523800003291">and foxes</a>. Scientists think it’s important for these hunters to be able to detect the motion of their nocturnal prey, and that’s why their vision <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/aug/03/did-t-rex-make-your-dog-colour-blind">evolved in this way</a>. As many mammals developed the ability to forage and hunt in twilight or dark conditions, they <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.devcel.2016.05.023">gave up the ability to see the variety of colors</a> that most birds, reptiles and primates have. People didn’t evolve to be active all night, so we kept the color vision and better visual acuity. </p>
<p>Before you feel sorry that dogs aren’t able to see all the colors of the rainbow, keep in mind that some of their other senses are much more developed than yours. They can <a href="https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/lifestyle/sounds-only-dogs-can-hear/">hear higher-pitched sounds from farther away</a>, and their <a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/dogs-sense-of-smell/">noses are much more powerful</a>.</p>
<p>Even though Sparky might not be able to easily see that orange toy in the grass, he can certainly smell it and find it easily when he wants to. </p>
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<p><em>Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you’d like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to <a href="mailto:curiouskidsus@theconversation.com">CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com</a>. Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live.</em></p>
<p><em>And since curiosity has no age limit – adults, let us know what you’re wondering, too. We won’t be able to answer every question, but we will do our best.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/131438/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nancy Dreschel does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Your faithful friend’s view of the world is different than yours, but maybe not in the way you imagine.Nancy Dreschel, Associate Teaching Professor of Small Animal Science, Penn StateLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1150532019-04-08T14:07:33Z2019-04-08T14:07:33ZCamera traps are revealing the secret lives of Britain’s mammals<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/268089/original/file-20190408-2905-32uhil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3888%2C2590&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/red-fox-british-countryside-28943083?src=BvDK1yqZHn762Wf2JYqHIA-1-25">Graham Taylor/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://www.wwf.org.uk/sites/default/files/2018-10/wwfintl_livingplanet_full.pdf">Wildlife populations are declining</a> globally, but it’s not all doom and gloom. We’re in the midst of an exciting time for UK mammals. <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-47602112">There are beavers</a> and <a href="https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/local-news/wild-boar-spotted-roaming-free-2637408">wild boar living free</a> in the UK again. <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/mam.12150">Otter populations</a> are recovering and can now be found in all English counties. <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-35386042">Polecats are expanding their range</a> and pine martens, with a little assistance, <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-the-pine-marten-is-not-every-red-squirrels-best-friend-110209">are growing in number</a>. Nevertheless, the information we have on many of these species is still very limited, making it difficult to understand the bigger picture.</p>
<p>With a growing human population, it’s more important than ever that scientists and the public work together to monitor mammals effectively. Only with accurate information can conservation benefit both wildlife and the people living alongside it.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-stop-the-humble-hedgehog-disappearing-from-british-gardens-and-countryside-forever-89432">How to stop the humble hedgehog disappearing from British gardens and countryside forever</a>
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<p>Unfortunately, there’s little data on many British mammal species, and this prevents precise <a href="https://www.mammal.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/MAMMALS-Technical-Summary-FINALNE-Verision-FM2.pdf">population estimates</a>. With limited historical data, too, it’s difficult to know if populations are becoming more or less abundant and why. Without this information, it’s hard to say if conservation is needed. Important debates on issues such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/badger-cull-alone-wont-work-for-eradicating-bovine-tb-but-this-might-107472">badger culling</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/no-wonder-fox-hunting-is-still-prevalent-the-ban-is-designed-to-fail-british-wildlife-110454">fox hunting</a> may also be ill informed.</p>
<p>Many mammals are nocturnal and elusive so people are unlikely to come across them. More visible species, such as rabbits or grey squirrels, are so common that people are unlikely to keep a record of sightings. To ensure the successful protection and management of Britain’s mammal community, there need to be effective ways of monitoring them long term.</p>
<h2>Citizen camera traps</h2>
<p>One technique that has proved <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rsos.181748">successful</a> in the study of mammals is the use of camera traps. These are <a href="https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/rse2.20">motion-sensitive</a> cameras that are triggered to take a photograph or short film when an animal moves in front of them. These cameras are battery powered and can be left in place for weeks or even months at a time, recording wildlife.</p>
<p>Although some animals seem curious about the cameras, they cause less disturbance than humans would. Once set up, a camera trap can collect lots of footage – meaning <a href="https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/rse2.106">large amounts of data</a> for scientists to search through to identify species. This is one area in which the public can help.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1100489709640445953"}"></div></p>
<p>I recently started working on <a href="http://www.MammalWeb.org">MammalWeb</a> – a citizen science project that invites people to help build a better understanding of the UK’s mammals through camera trapping. People can participate by setting up a camera trap in their garden, or on any land they have permission to access. This makes it possible to have more cameras in the field, spread out across a wider area than any single researcher could manage on their own, generating a more comprehensive data set. Everyone, including those without their own camera trap, can contribute by identifying which animals are present in photos collected by other participants.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/267954/original/file-20190407-115800-w9t9hf.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/267954/original/file-20190407-115800-w9t9hf.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/267954/original/file-20190407-115800-w9t9hf.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/267954/original/file-20190407-115800-w9t9hf.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/267954/original/file-20190407-115800-w9t9hf.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/267954/original/file-20190407-115800-w9t9hf.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/267954/original/file-20190407-115800-w9t9hf.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A red fox (<em>Vulpes vulpes</em>) with its prey: a common pheasant (<em>Phasianus colchicus</em>).</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Roland Ascroft</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There are over 500,000 photos in the MammalWeb database – nearly 250,000 uploaded by members of the public, and others by researchers seeking help with classifying species in images they’ve collected. More than 500 people have helped make 500,000 classifications, but as images must be classified by multiple people to <a href="https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/rse2.84">ensure accuracy</a>, more classifications are always needed.</p>
<p>Participants have recorded 34 mammal species, ranging from the largest UK land mammal – the red deer – right down to some of the smallest, such as bank voles, captured using specially modified camera traps.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/267953/original/file-20190407-115781-vdjrb9.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/267953/original/file-20190407-115781-vdjrb9.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/267953/original/file-20190407-115781-vdjrb9.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/267953/original/file-20190407-115781-vdjrb9.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/267953/original/file-20190407-115781-vdjrb9.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/267953/original/file-20190407-115781-vdjrb9.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/267953/original/file-20190407-115781-vdjrb9.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A small bank vole (<em>Myodes glareolus</em>) captured by a modified camera trap.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Roland Ascroft</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Many of the participants were surprised by what the animals were doing in their own back gardens. There’s the typical predatory behaviour of foxes hunting pheasants and the more unusual behaviour of badgers predating hedgehogs. This behaviour among badgers may be contributing to <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-30130-4">a decline in hedgehog populations</a>, but the camera traps have found evidence that they can coexist happily, too.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/267956/original/file-20190407-115773-11bsfj5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/267956/original/file-20190407-115773-11bsfj5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/267956/original/file-20190407-115773-11bsfj5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/267956/original/file-20190407-115773-11bsfj5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/267956/original/file-20190407-115773-11bsfj5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/267956/original/file-20190407-115773-11bsfj5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/267956/original/file-20190407-115773-11bsfj5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A badger (<em>Meles meles</em>) and hedgehog (<em>Erinaceus europaeus</em>) sharing food.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Terry Wright</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>One particularly surprising find was a North American raccoon (<em>Procyon lotor</em>), captured living wild in the north-east of England. Thanks to these records, the authorities were able to locate the raccoon and transfer it to a local zoo to be looked after.</p>
<p>This highlights how easily wild mammals can go unobserved. It’s unknown how long the raccoon was roaming free and, without the aid of the public and their camera traps, we may never have known about it. While a single raccoon may not seem like a serious conservation issue, non-native species can spread rapidly, with serious consequences for native wildlife.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/267952/original/file-20190407-115800-gdz28l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/267952/original/file-20190407-115800-gdz28l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/267952/original/file-20190407-115800-gdz28l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/267952/original/file-20190407-115800-gdz28l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/267952/original/file-20190407-115800-gdz28l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/267952/original/file-20190407-115800-gdz28l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/267952/original/file-20190407-115800-gdz28l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Spotted: one very lost raccoon.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">MammalWeb contributors</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The raccoon is not the only American visitor to have made itself at home in the UK. American mink, which are <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-39968853">threatening water vole populations</a>, have been recorded, and American grey squirrels, which compete with native red squirrels, are the most common mammal sighted on MammalWeb – although recovering pine marten populations may help to balance the odds and <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rspb.2017.2603">aid red squirrel</a> recovery.</p>
<p>Volunteers are assisting <a href="https://www.naturespy.org/">NatureSpy</a>, a non-profit organisation working on wildlife research and community engagement that MammalWeb is partnering with, in its search for the elusive pine marten in North Yorkshire as part of their Yorkshire Pine Marten Support Programme which followed <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/aug/07/rare-pine-marten-caught-on-camera-in-yorkshire-for-first-time-in-35-years">video footage of a single pine marten in 2017</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/268088/original/file-20190408-2914-1rkfj9w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/268088/original/file-20190408-2914-1rkfj9w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/268088/original/file-20190408-2914-1rkfj9w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/268088/original/file-20190408-2914-1rkfj9w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/268088/original/file-20190408-2914-1rkfj9w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/268088/original/file-20190408-2914-1rkfj9w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/268088/original/file-20190408-2914-1rkfj9w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Yet to appear in new camera trap footage, the elusive pine marten (<em>Martes martes</em>).</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/pine-marten-martes-highland-scotland-107261963?src=YVOSSJ2n6WcdbqUKBu9UbA-1-7">Mark Caunt/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There hasn’t been another caught on camera yet, but continually monitoring the area offers the best chance of spotting the animals as they move into new areas. This will help conservationists understand where and when this species is dispersing and where help can be given.</p>
<p>Camera traps offer fascinating insights into the secret lives of Britain’s mammals. With the help of ordinary people, we can all learn more about them, and how to look after them well into the future.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/115053/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sian Green has received funding from the Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC) through the IAPETUS doctoral training partnership and works with MammalWeb.</span></em></p>Camera traps allow citizen scientists to peek into the hidden lives of Britain’s mammals.Sian Green, PhD Researcher in Wildlife Conservation, Durham UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/987512018-07-10T10:41:28Z2018-07-10T10:41:28ZAT&T-Time Warner, net neutrality and how to make sense of the media merger frenzy<p>Last month, the <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2018/06/12/media/att-time-warner-ruling/index.html">Department of Justice lost its suit</a> to prevent AT&T’s acquisition of Time Warner. </p>
<p>The agency had brought the case out of <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-challenges-attdirectv-s-acquisition-time-warner">concern</a> that the acquisition would reduce competition and in turn result in higher prices for consumers as well as less innovation. </p>
<p>Although the Justice Department <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/12/justice-department-will-appeal-time-warner-att-merger-approval-dow-j.html">is appealing</a> the ruling, the June decision encouraged a <a href="https://deadline.com/2018/07/disney-should-win-fox-analysts-say-1202420556/">still-ongoing bidding war</a> between Disney and Comcast for most of the assets of 21st Century Fox. It also prompted business <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/hundreds-of-millions-in-fees-at-stake-in-media-merger-frenzy-1528928459">journalists</a> to predict a coming <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/healthtrending/atandt-time-warner-and-the-entire-media-merger-frenzy-explained/vi-AAyyphQ">frenzy</a> of mergers.</p>
<p>My <a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/we-now-disrupt-broadcast">research</a> tracks how the media business has changed over the last two decades and what that change means for consumers. I’ve learned that not all mergers are alike, and some are more consequential than others. As I’ll show, allowing mergers like AT&T’s acquisition of Time Warner will profoundly reshape the American media landscape, even more so because of the elimination of net neutrality.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/226545/original/file-20180706-122247-1a91qu0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/226545/original/file-20180706-122247-1a91qu0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/226545/original/file-20180706-122247-1a91qu0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/226545/original/file-20180706-122247-1a91qu0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/226545/original/file-20180706-122247-1a91qu0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/226545/original/file-20180706-122247-1a91qu0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/226545/original/file-20180706-122247-1a91qu0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Actress Yara Shahidi stars in ‘Black-ish’ on ABC. Disney’s purchase of ABC in 1995 was a so-called horizontal merger because it combined content companies.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/-Black-ish-FYC-Event-Arrivals/39fd49f482fc4695a87cca00b9361557/97/0">Invision/AP/Richard Shotwell</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>All media businesses are not the same</h2>
<p>The first thing to understand about these mergers is that not all “media” companies do the same thing.</p>
<p>Some media companies create content – they decide what to produce, fund its creation and organize it as a schedule of programming for a channel. Content companies then negotiate with cable/internet and satellite businesses that distribute that content to millions of homes that pay them to provide programming or internet access. </p>
<p>Until 2011, a logic of keeping content and distribution companies distinct guided the organization of the media industry, what legal scholar Tim Wu terms a “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Master-Switch-Information-Empires-Borzoi/dp/0307269930">separations principle</a>.” The businesses that create content and the cable/internet companies that enable it to reach viewers were, for the most part, different entities. </p>
<p>The reason AT&T’s purchase of Time Warner is so significant is that it allowed a major distribution company to purchase a large content company. </p>
<p>Consumers pay <a href="https://www.att.com/Common/about_us/pdf/att_btn.pdf">AT&T</a> to receive mobile phone (159 million in the U.S. and Mexico), video (47 million) and internet services (15.8 million). Time Warner is mostly a content creation company. Its holdings include Warner Entertainment, Turner Broadcasting and HBO. </p>
<p>This type of “vertical” integration – the joining of companies that perform different aspects of the supply chain – has not been as much a concern for <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/public-statements/2018/01/vertical-merger-enforcement-ftc">antitrust regulators</a> as “horizontal” mergers, which they often try to prevent. That’s because horizontal deals allow a merger of two companies that do the same thing – creating a monopoly in the most extreme – and might give them considerable competitive advantage over others. </p>
<h2>Fox’s suitors and the end of ‘separations’</h2>
<p>But the competitive dynamics of media aren’t like other industries. </p>
<p>Distributors often have considerable power because they face limited and sometimes no competition. Normal marketplace dynamics have not operated because <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Foundations-Communications-Policy-Principles-Communication/dp/1572733438">U.S. policy</a> – in acknowledgment of the infrastructure required to wire a nation – has offered these services protections that have allowed them to operate as monopolies or with minimal competition. This has given consumers very <a href="http://theconversation.com/americas-broadband-market-needs-more-competition-71676">little choice</a> in providers and has led to the many <a href="http://carseywolf.ucsb.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Lotz_ChannelBundles.pdf">aspects of service</a> that frustrate them.</p>
<p>When looking at the acquisition of Fox – a content company – its two suitors create different concerns. </p>
<p>Like Fox, Disney is mostly a content company. Their merger would provide Disney with greater market power in negotiating with cable/internet companies and reduce the employment marketplace for creative talent. It’s a classic horizontal tie-up, the kind antitrust investigators often oppose, but less concerning than a vertical deal because of the conditions of the U.S. media marketplace.</p>
<p>Comcast is a cable/internet company, which would make its acquisition of Fox a vertical merger and raise the same concerns as the AT&T-Time Warner deal. Such concerns derive from particular features of media, like the way their content isn’t perfectly substitutable and plays important democratic and cultural functions. </p>
<p>Since <a href="https://variety.com/2013/biz/news/pay-tv-prices-are-at-the-breaking-point-and-theyre-only-going-to-get-worse-1200886691/">90 percent</a> of professionally produced U.S. television is created by just nine companies, the net result is a dysfunctional marketplace that makes vertical mergers concerning.</p>
<h2>A new media landscape</h2>
<p>The U.S. television industry has been in the midst of constant, precipitous change for the last 20 years in response to the arrival of the internet as a new technology for delivering video. </p>
<p>During that time, new competitors have arisen – such as Netflix – while others that dominated cable and broadcast distribution have developed internet-distributed services – think HBO Now and CBS All Access. Yet, these new “competitors” rely on the same content creators that make shows for cable and broadcast, so the current ecosystem is multifaceted with many entities that are as complementary as competitive.</p>
<p>For consumers, it will be difficult to distinguish the implications of the erosion of the separations principle from the <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2018/06/11/technology/net-neutrality-repeal-explained/index.html">abandonment of net neutrality</a> policy, a change that became official the same week as the ruling in the AT&T-Time Warner case in June. </p>
<p>The elimination of net neutrality allows internet service providers to require companies that distribute content over the internet to pay for prioritization – what has been described as a “fast lane” – to be readily available to customers. Imposing those fees on companies such as Netflix and Hulu will most likely lead them to hike fees to subscribers. </p>
<p>Consumers are likely to see these implications sooner – within the year – than they are to notice changes to the competitive landscape of U.S. media because of the AT&T-Time Warner merger. But the <a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/06/11/618928905/net-neutrality-has-been-rolled-back-but-its-not-dead-yet">end of net neutrality</a> magnifies the impact of this deal. </p>
<p>That is, AT&T will be able to treat its own content favorably – for example, HBO won’t have to pay to receive fast-lane access on AT&T’s internet service – but AT&T will likely require competing services such as Netflix to pay up. AT&T might also make HBO very expensive for those who do not receive its internet service in order to encourage subscribers to switch providers.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/226548/original/file-20180706-122268-49x2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/226548/original/file-20180706-122268-49x2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/226548/original/file-20180706-122268-49x2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/226548/original/file-20180706-122268-49x2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/226548/original/file-20180706-122268-49x2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/226548/original/file-20180706-122268-49x2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/226548/original/file-20180706-122268-49x2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Netflix, one of the newer competitors on the TV landscape, airs ‘Orange Is the New Black,’ the company’s most viewed original show.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Netflix-s-Orange-Is-the-New-Black-Season-Five-/2d73c7b78aea4ddd99481d44df59bd31/84/0">Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What next?</h2>
<p>Like the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Empires-Entertainment-Industries-Deregulation-1980-1996/dp/081355053X/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1529705521&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=empires+of+entertainmnet">series of mergers in the early-to-mid 1990s</a> that completely reconfigured media into the conglomerated structure Americans now face, the AT&T acquisition of Time Warner similarly signals the dawn of a new competitive field. </p>
<p>The implications of those mergers weren’t immediately evident in the 1990s either. It took five to 10 years for strategies and industrial practices to shift, and when they did, it was rarely obvious that the root cause was the new ownership structure. This will likely be the case now too. </p>
<p>The abandonment of the separations principle means distribution companies like AT&T can use access to exclusive content as a strategy to drive consumers to purchase their service. That may be a reasonable strategy if most consumers had more than one or two options for internet service, but the reality is Americans do not. </p>
<p>As a result, consumers with specific tastes – those who want NFL football, HBO and AMC dramas like “The Walking Dead” – may find themselves paying much more if their internet/cable provider doesn’t own all the content they desire. </p>
<p><em>This article has been updated to reflect new information.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/98751/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amanda Lotz does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A scholar of the media business tries to make sense of the flurry of merger news lately, and why the contested tie-up between AT&T and Time Warner will profoundly reshape the American media landscape.Amanda Lotz, Fellow, Peabody Media Center; Professor of Media Studies, University of MichiganLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/644452016-08-25T13:09:16Z2016-08-25T13:09:16ZVice founder Shane Smith’s message to the media: give the kids what they want – or die<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/135511/original/image-20160825-6609-19j0njg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">'Here's why you're f****d.'</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/23555677@N05/28598306543/in/dateposted/">Edinburgh International Television Festival</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>There will be blood. So said Shane Smith, chief of digital empire Vice Media, and one of its co-founders, at the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/aug/24/mainstream-media-failing-audience-colluding-with-donald-trump-vice-founder-shane-smith">keynote MacTaggart lecture</a> at the Edinburgh International Television Festival. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/disney-and-vice-a-storybook-romance-1471963909">Dubbed</a> “the barbarian at the gate” the day before in the Wall Street Journal, Smith warned, nay relished, the prospect of “a veritable fucking bloodbath” in the year ahead as he predicted old media and new media would take part in a frenzy of consolidation and merger. Far from any cerebral analysis on the future of the media, it felt like watching a trailer for Game of Thrones. </p>
<p>He’d tweeted before the speech: </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"767380060093358080"}"></div></p>
<p>That may have promised more than the Canadian journalist turned entrepreneur delivered, but his audience of TV executives – baby boomers as opposed to millennials – had to suck it up. He gave them rap; riffs on booze and hallucinogens; attempts at a Scottish accent (not bad); and much profanity as he veered off on various tangents before getting to his point: the kids are all right. They are the future. Change is good.</p>
<p>Smith is the guru with an “in” to Generation Y, the most sought-after demographic for media and advertisers. He is the man behind the <a href="http://www.vice.com/en_uk/">Vice site</a> and various other hip digital destinations, plus the <a href="https://www.viceland.com/en_uk/">Viceland TV channel</a>, a <a href="https://news.vice.com">news operation</a>, a <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/20th-century-fox-launches-vice-films/">movie arm</a> and book and music publishing enterprises. Current value: US$4.5 billion (£3.4 billion). </p>
<p>This has been built on the back of growing acclaim. Vice won two <a href="https://news.vice.com/article/vice-news-wins-two-peabody-awards">Peabody awards</a> last year for a global scoop with the <a href="https://news.vice.com/show/the-islamic-state">first inside coverage of ISIS</a> and a <a href="https://news.vice.com/show/last-chance-high">documentary series</a> about a hard-knocks school in Chicago. It also drew attention for a <a href="https://news.vice.com/video/jeremy-corbyn-the-outsider">ground-breaking video</a> about Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in the UK (see below). Next week, Vice is up for three Emmys for Smith’s <a href="http://grist.org/living/vice-takes-on-climate-change-and-guess-what-its-pretty-bleak/">documentary</a> on global warming, Gloria Steinem’s <a href="https://www.viceland.com/en_us/video/woman-trailer/5707e6a700b074b145351edd">Women series</a> and <a href="http://www.vice.com/en_uk/tag/GAYCATION">Spike Jonze’s Gaycation</a>. </p>
<p>Big media has been scrabbling to get onboard. Disney <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/disney-and-vice-a-storybook-romance-1471963909">has invested</a> $400m in the last year and now owns 18% of the operation. And while Smith retains overall control through supervoting shares, he has been courted by other big boys – Fox <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/sep/04/vice-investment-investment-digital-media">has 5%</a>, there were investment talks with <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/aug/29/time-warner-ends-talks-vice-media">Time Warner</a>, and a while back he <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffbercovici/2012/01/03/tom-frestons-1-billion-revenge-ex-viacom-chief-helps-vice-become-the-next-mtv/2/#70493c0e53ec">jilted</a> Viacom, owner of the likes of MTV and Paramount. </p>
<p>Smith pointed to the coming bloodbath among these giants as a symptom of the change sweeping through the media: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>The Hollywood Reporter last week was predicting Fox will bid for Time Warner and takeover CNN and become the largest news organisation. Time Warner will bid for Viacom as they don’t want Fox to take them over. Meanwhile Apple will bid for Time Warner and Tim Cook will also buy Netflix.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>On Viacom, with whom Vice’s marriage in the 2000s was not happy, he cackled: “Viacom is imploding … a Shakespearean decline”. </p>
<figure>
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</figure>
<h2>Advertising RIP?</h2>
<p>Smith was more sombre on new media, saying much of it would go to the wall. Why? </p>
<blockquote>
<p>The death of the 30 second commercial, dude. All the agencies know it. The basic funding for content is commercially dysfunctional. Platforms have to change their ad base. It’s the biggest single shift in new media history …</p>
<p>Ad blocking on mobile is now 60% and [falling traditional TV ratings] and Netflix and consumption on demand is really knocking the shit out of the traditional ad model.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>He said Vice had stayed ahead of the game with its in-house ad agency, which produces “branded” content for marketers – “native advertising”, as he called it. There was much uncomfortable shuffling in seats as digital independents in the UK rely on outsourcing their ad sales to consultancies.</p>
<p>But in-house is Vice’s motto and it’s not so much content is king as content is key:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>With fewer content sites and mainstream media buying up big scale and another economic downturn around the corner, everyone is confused. </p>
</blockquote>
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</figure>
<h2>Content, stupid</h2>
<p>He turned to how mainstream media news coverage had failed Gen Y, giving the example of CNN’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/aug/24/mainstream-media-failing-audience-colluding-with-donald-trump-vice-founder-shane-smith">collusion</a> with Trump in the US elections. There was a sharper intake of breath as he threw down the gauntlet to the audience: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>The baby boomers’ stranglehold is broken. Let’s break the rules. Open shit up. The mainstream media is so closed to young people. Hand it over to the kids. It’s about language, tonality. You can’t fake this. Gen Y is the smartest, savviest, most sophisticated and educated one ever. They have an in-built bullshit detector, so don’t bullshit.</p>
<p>The problem is will you give $10m to a kid straight out of school. Mainstream media don’t do that. We do. A 23-year-old might run off to Mexico City with my production budget but most cases we get gold.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>But when and how did Vice see the light?</p>
<blockquote>
<p>When we stopped being the hipster’s bible … The idea young people were not interested in news is bullshit. They care. We changed our brand. Our business grew, our audience exploded, we made more money and more content …</p>
<p>Our research showed what was important to young people – music, environment, civil rights, inequality, social justice, gender equality and LGBT rights. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Don’t be derivative, was his message – American Idol, The X Factor, home improvement shows … forget about it. Gen Y is now taking over: culturally, socially and economically. </p>
<p>Smith said producing content the kids wanted to consume was a virtuous circle – make the right content, your audience grows, awards roll in and you make more money to make more content, more licensing, more brands, more consumer relationships and more money. With the scale of Vice’s success in recent years, it certainly feels like he has a point. Will the old guard be able to do something similar? Their investment in Vice suggests they are far from optimistic.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/64445/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Simon Pia does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The digital conqueror took to the stage in Edinburgh with some harsh words for the TV industry.Simon Pia, Lecturer in Journalism, Edinburgh Napier UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/628832016-07-22T20:22:20Z2016-07-22T20:22:20ZThe one Roger Ailes hire that changed American politics forever<p>In the wake of Roger Ailes’ <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/former-fox-news-chief-roger-ailes-dies-1495112318">death</a>, many will remember him for his 20-year reign at the helm of Fox News, and his strategic approach to programming that took the network to new heights.</p>
<p>But to journalism ethicists, he will be remembered as a poster boy for conflict of interest. Of Ailes’ many departures from journalistic norms of impartiality, the most egregious was his hiring of a cousin of presidential candidate George W. Bush during the 2000 election. </p>
<h2>Partisan journalism, redefined</h2>
<p>We talk a lot about conflict of interest in my journalism ethics class: why travel writers shouldn’t accept free trips to Disney World. Why food critics shouldn’t write about their sister-in-law’s restaurant. Why no journalists should actively support or work against any causes or organizations that they may be called upon to write about. </p>
<p>And, especially, why no news executives should assign stories that promote their allies or attack their enemies.</p>
<p>The prohibitions are grounded in the belief in the importance of journalistic independence – the belief that journalists’ first allegiance should be to the public they serve.</p>
<p>It gets complicated, of course. If everyone who has an opinion about abortion rights is disqualified from covering a march for or against abortion rights, there would be no news of such protests. If, as is increasingly the case, the news organization is owned by a corporation that also owns a movie studio, how should the news organization handle a new release by the studio?</p>
<p>Classic cases help us see how such conflicts play out in the real world: the political reporter <a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-mayor4jul04-story.html">who was having an affair with the mayor</a>, the news anchor <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2001/04/04/rather-spoke-at-democratic-fundraiser/89d04ae7-47c8-4691-9d50-8cb627a97c36/">who spoke at a Democratic Party fundraiser</a> and the business reporter whose coverage of a company he owned stock in <a href="http://money.cnn.com/gallery/investing/2014/06/02/insider-trading-famous-cases/3.html">caused that stock to rise</a>.</p>
<p>Then there’s Fox News, which is in a whole different category. </p>
<p>From one perspective, a conservative-leaning TV news source was needed as a counterweight to all the liberal-leaning sources. From another, the arrival of Fox was part of a two-pronged right-wing strategy: First, relentlessly discredit what were actually more or less impartial news sources as having a liberal bias. Then, offer your own news shows as the “fair and balanced” alternative.</p>
<p>The giveaway was Rupert Murdoch’s 1996 appointment of Roger Ailes, a former adviser to the Nixon, Reagan and George H.W. Bush campaigns, to build the operation. Where individual journalists or newsroom executives might have a conflict of interest covering particular stories or issues, Ailes brought a political agenda to an <em>entire news organization</em>. The master political operative became a master news producer, enjoying 20 years of <a href="http://www.journalism.org/files/2014/03/1-cable-tv-viewership.png">powerhouse ratings</a>. </p>
<h2>Tilting the 2000 election?</h2>
<p>But Ailes’ signature moment was bringing John Ellis on board to analyze the data provided by the Voter News Service on Election Night 2000.</p>
<p>To this day, some claim the networks suppressed Republican turnout by prematurely calling some states for Al Gore; others argue the networks, starting with Fox, influenced the outcome by prematurely calling the election for Bush. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/one-call-too-many/">One thing is known</a>: Ellis was on the phone with the Republican nominee and his brother Jeb throughout the evening, and it was Ellis’ declaration that his kinsman was the winner that influenced all the projections that followed.</p>
<p>Before the gig at Fox, in a column he wrote for the Boston Globe, <a href="http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/doc/405294146.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jul+3%2C+1999&author=Ellis%2C+John&pub=Boston+Globe&edition=&startpage=A.11&desc=Why+I+won%27t+write+anymore+about+the+2000+campaign">Ellis recused himself from coverage of the election</a>, acknowledging that his first loyalty was to his cousin.</p>
<p>“Dwell on this for a moment,” Tim Dickinson <a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/how-roger-ailes-built-the-fox-news-fear-factory-20110525">wrote</a> in a 2011 Rolling Stone article. “A ‘news’ network controlled by a GOP operative who had spent decades shaping just such political narratives – including those that helped elect the candidate’s father – declared George W. Bush the victor based on the analysis of a man who had proclaimed himself loyal to Bush over the facts.”</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vJIGQyF2Yjo?wmode=transparent&start=86" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">A clip from the documentary ‘Outfoxed’ details how Fox News erroneously called the 2000 election for Bush – and the other networks fell in line.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Once Bush took office, Dickinson wrote, Ailes frequently served as an informal adviser to the president. And when Obama succeeded Bush, Fox News reverted to attack mode, <a href="http://mediamatters.org/research/2011/04/20/fox-news-goes-full-birther/178860#Head1">raising doubts about his citizenship</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC0g5l9kq94">his religious affiliation</a>. </p>
<p>With Ailes at the controls, Fox News was fair and balanced only if you believe that all other news coverage is so biased that an entire network is needed to counteract it. In other words, in the face of the supposed liberal slant at the other networks, Fox needed to be unfair and unbalanced.</p>
<p>Now we are in an era of <a href="http://www.people-press.org/2014/06/12/section-1-growing-ideological-consistency/">unprecedented political partisanship</a>. Other networks tried to mimic Fox News’ success; the result has been a proliferation of partisan outlets that have only <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ajps.12008/abstract;jsessionid=E1531D46DB93F7A849E5092FB7BAEC55.f01t03?userIsAuthenticated=false&deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=">further polarized viewers</a>, while the public’s trust in the media <a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/185927/americans-trust-media-remains-historical-low.aspx">is at a historic low</a>.</p>
<p>Give Ailes credit. His experiment with overtly partisan news-like programming was wildly successful for <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/as-viewers-drift-is-it-past-prime-time-for-the-cable-news-networks/2015/05/06/6dbba2bc-eeb6-11e4-a55f-38924fca94f9_story.html">Fox’s bottom line</a>. But his tenure – epitomized by his appointment of John Ellis – grievously harmed journalism. </p>
<hr>
<p><em>Editor’s note: This is an updated version of an article first published on July 22, 2016.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/62883/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Russell Frank does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The former Fox News CEO crossed the line between unbiased coverage and political activism with ease.Russell Frank, Associate Professor of Communications, Penn StateLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/606032016-06-08T05:35:01Z2016-06-08T05:35:01ZHow to stop vampire bats wreaking havoc (no stakes or garlic required)<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125571/original/image-20160607-15049-6lhmjk.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Daniel Streicker/Julio Benavides</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>During the darkest hours of the night, they fly and hunt for prey. They live in caves and ruined buildings and have to drink blood every night to survive. They can bite with their fangs without you even noticing. No wonder these bats are called vampires. Yet when it comes to coping with these bloodthirsty creatures, the good news is that a breakthrough could finally be in sight. </p>
<p>Vampire bats only live in one part of the world – which is a relief, unless you happen to be in Latin America. They exist between northern Mexico and northern Chile, and they are a major problem. They are now the <a href="http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1020-49892009000300010">main cause</a> of human deaths from rabies in the region. </p>
<p>Between 2009 and 2013, vampire bats bit 20,000 people in Peru alone, according to the country’s health minister; and in communities across the Amazon, where bites are commonplace, the rate of rabies infection <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9025698">could be</a> almost as high as 1% per year. At least 12 children were killed by rabies earlier <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3440814/Rabies-spread-bats-kills-12-Peruvian-Amazon.html">this year</a> in a single outbreak. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168170205000705">farmers lose</a> a few thousand livestock every year – or perhaps many more, since the worst-hit remote communities almost certainly under-report infection rates. We found that about 70% of farms in the Andes have at least one animal bitten regularly. </p>
<p>The virus is also steadily expanding into areas that were historically free of the disease, as we discovered through our <a href="http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/283/1832/20160328">recent work</a> in Peru. As many as 12 new governmental districts become infected per year on average, which has doubled the number of outbreaks at national level. We found that the virus invades new areas in waves that advance at between 10km and 20km per year. The advance is stalled only by tall mountains that rise above the altitudes where bats thrive. </p>
<p>We don’t know what has sparked the spread of rabies into new territories, but one possibility is that bats nowadays have access to more livestock and man-made structures for roosting. This could be making it possible to allow the disease to spread by connecting previously isolated populations. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125515/original/image-20160607-15031-1d2fdds.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125515/original/image-20160607-15031-1d2fdds.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125515/original/image-20160607-15031-1d2fdds.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125515/original/image-20160607-15031-1d2fdds.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125515/original/image-20160607-15031-1d2fdds.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125515/original/image-20160607-15031-1d2fdds.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125515/original/image-20160607-15031-1d2fdds.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125515/original/image-20160607-15031-1d2fdds.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Vampire bats have sharp teeth for feeding on blood.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/cat.mhtml?lang=en&language=en&ref_site=photo&search_source=search_form&version=llv1&anyorall=all&safesearch=1&use_local_boost=1&autocomplete_id=&searchterm=vampire%20bats&show_color_wheel=1&orient=&commercial_ok=&media_type=images&search_cat=&searchtermx=&photographer_name=&people_gender=&people_age=&people_ethnicity=&people_number=&color=&page=1&inline=376769797">Wikimedia</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Breaking the waves</h2>
<p>We are pleased to report that the waves of rabies in bats move quite predictably. This makes it possible to forecast in some areas when and where the virus is likely to strike next. With this information, which has not been known until now, the authorities in Peru will have the option of anticipating their arrival, allowing them to vaccinate the animals and people before deaths begin. </p>
<p>This would be a big shift from the norm, where livestock and people typically get vaccinated only after an outbreak has been declared. Assuming the virus behaves in the same way in other countries, the same approach could be adopted across Latin America. </p>
<p>Having said that, vaccinating animals and people does nothing to prevent the spread of the virus. It only saves the recipients of vaccines from dying. If you want to stop the virus, you have to tackle the source of the transmission – the bats themselves. </p>
<p>Since the 1970s, Latin American governments’ answer has been bat culls. Yet there is no <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1439-0450.2003.00713.x/full">convincing evidence</a> that this has made a substantial difference, and it may even have been counterproductive – by <a href="http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2012/06/07/rspb.2012.0538.short">mainly targetting</a> adult bats that are already immune and <a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/110/51/20837.abstract">provoking bats</a> to disperse between roosts, it might have hastened the spread of the disease. </p>
<p>Governments across the world have been <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15742629">very successful</a> at using mass-vaccination programmes to curb rabies in dogs and other key carrier species such as foxes and raccoons, but this has never been attempted on a large scale with vampire bats. This is despite the fact that an effective vaccine is now an option. Researchers in <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9682368">Mexico</a> and <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18761044">Brazil</a> have shown that you can prevent bats in captivity from catching rabies by giving them an orally transmitted gel that has been impregnated with the vaccine. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125570/original/image-20160607-7438-1g0bp43.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125570/original/image-20160607-7438-1g0bp43.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125570/original/image-20160607-7438-1g0bp43.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=448&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125570/original/image-20160607-7438-1g0bp43.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=448&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125570/original/image-20160607-7438-1g0bp43.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=448&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125570/original/image-20160607-7438-1g0bp43.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=563&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125570/original/image-20160607-7438-1g0bp43.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=563&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125570/original/image-20160607-7438-1g0bp43.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=563&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Rabies spreads among bats by bites.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Daniel Streicker</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Whether this would work with wild bats is another matter, of course. All the biological and ethical challenges inherent in any wildlife vaccination campaign are likely to apply, not to mention the logistical challenge of remote landscapes in the Andes and Amazon. </p>
<p>But our findings on the way that the disease spreads in waves among bats could change the game here, too: rather than seeking to eliminate rabies from all vampire bats in endemically infected areas, we could try to halt the spread into new areas instead. </p>
<p>It is also important to galvanise interest in bat vaccination among public health officials and conservationists for other reasons. As well as rabies, bat populations are thought to spread other diseases such as <a href="http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/">Ebola</a> and <a href="http://www.batcon.org/index.php/our-work/regions/usa-canada/address-serious-threats/wns-intro">white-nose syndrome</a> in other parts of the world. </p>
<p>Given that vampire bat rabies has a major impact on human lives and livestock, and we now have both an effective vaccine and a better understanding of how it spreads, we believe this is the right starting point to inspire a new generation of disease control strategies for bats. It is surely something we could all get our teeth into.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/60603/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Julio Benavides receives funding from The UK – Peru CONCYTEC Fund for Science and Innovation. He is the vice-president of the not-for-profit group Apes Incorporated.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Daniel Streicker receives funding from the Wellcome Trust, the Royal Society, the Beit Trust, National Geographic, the UK-Peru CONCYTEC Fund for Science and Innovation and the Leverhulme Trust</span></em></p>They kill thousands of animals and people every year by spreading rabies. New research findings could solve the problem.Julio Benavides, Research Associate, University of GlasgowDaniel Streicker, Research Fellow, University of GlasgowLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.