Animal Welfare Groups Research Articles

Low-cost uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) as a novel tool for welfare assessments on open pen commercial crocodile farms.

The welfare of crocodiles on commercial farms in southern Africa requires precise assessment, focusing on stocking densities and pen conditions. However, disputes between animal welfare groups and farm owners persist due to inadequate methodologies for quantifying these factors. This study aimed to address these disputes and enhance crocodile welfare assessment by introducing a novel technique using a low-cost consumer uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) and open-source photogrammetry software. The objective was to quantify key welfare parameters accurately and efficiently. The study involved applying the UAV-based technique to two large Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) farms in South Africa. The approach enabled the mapping and surveying of crocodile pens, facilitating the determination of stocking densities, biomass indicators, and other pen-related attributes. Comparisons were made between UAV-derived crocodile counts and farmer estimates. The UAV-based crocodile counts significantly differed from the estimates provided by farmers, underscoring the need for a more precise assessment method. The technique's cost-effectiveness was evident, with implementation expenses totalling less than R10 000, a fraction of the cost associated with commercial UAV surveys. The introduced UAV-based technique offers a valuable solution to the ongoing debates regarding crocodile welfare on commercial farms. By quantifying key parameters accurately and economically, it empowers farmers and animal welfare groups to make informed decisions. The method's ease of adoption, demonstrated through its use by some Southern African crocodile farmers, signifies its potential for widespread application, ultimately contributing to improved crocodile welfare.

A Linear Regression Study Relating Stray Animal Management with the Importance of Relative Funding. A Case Study in a Small Greek City

Cities all around the world face the constant difficulty of regulating stray animal populations in urban environments. Abandoned or lost dogs and cats find refuge on urban streets, where they face a variety of challenges. This essay dives into the complex subject of managing stray animal populations in metropolitan areas. Stray animals on the streets are malnourished, exposed to harsh weather conditions, and infected, creating a huge public health concern by spreading illnesses such as rabies. Collaboration among communities, local governments, and animal welfare groups is critical in combating this issue efficiently. Implementing large spay and neuter programs, building animal shelters, and encouraging ethical pet ownership are all popular solutions for addressing this issue. To create safer and more compassionate urban settings for both humans and animals, it is critical to invest in vaccination and disease prevention programs, strengthen animal welfare regulations, and encourage community involvement. This study will use data from a municipality in Greece's Attica area to evaluate the link between greater spending and improved stray animal management. The examination of yearly veterinary care costs demonstrates an increase in financing but no commensurate increase in the number of animals seeking veterinary treatment. As a result, state and local authorities must take a more targeted and efficient approach to addressing this disparity. Although the state is willing, the challenge of reducing stray animal numbers persists, requiring ongoing attention and financial support. Cities can strive towards creating inclusive and healthier urban environments for all residents by addressing root causes and implementing viable solutions. This paper proposes a more targeted approach to tackling this complex issue.

IT IS TIME TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IN VITRO CELL BASED MODELS

Dear Reader, Preclinical tests are crucial for assessing the toxicity and safety of new drugs before moving on to evaluating their efficacy and immunogenicity. Animal models, as well as alternatives, have long been used to study human biology and pathology. However, animal experimentation has been restricted in recent years due to increasing complexities in animal usage and growing concerns about animal welfare groups. There have been ethical concerns raised about the unnecessary or excessive use of experimental animals. As a result, many jurisdictions, including the Indian government, the European Union (EU), the United States, Canada, and South Korea, have restricted usage of experimental animals. Another reason for the limitation of using animals in experiments is uncertainty of results. According to one study, 90% of experimental drugs fail clinical trials, implying that they do not accurately reflect human physiology. The Indian government recently amended the New Drugs and Clinical Trials 2023 (NDCT) Act aimed at fostering the replacement, reduction and refinement of animal testing and the use of non-animal and human-relevant methods to assess the safety and efficacy of new drugs.

Factors Affecting Thoroughbred Online Auction Prices in Non/Post-Racing Careers.

Racehorse welfare is a prominent, public issue which affects nearly every aspect of the racing industry. Thoroughbred care after race career completion has garnered increasing attention from the equine industry, general public, and animal welfare groups alike. As the average racehorse's career lasts just 4.5 years, owner demand for thoroughbreds is essential for post-race careers and acceptable welfare standards. This study utilized data from and hedonic pricing models to analyze buyer demand for thoroughbreds sold in online auctions held from 2012 to 2020. The results indicate buyer preferences for age (p < 0.01), sex (p < 0.05), and organization registration (p < 0.05), with bid price premiums for age and registration status (USEF, USEA, USHJA, etc.) and price discounts for mares compared to geldings and horses listed for non-competition careers (trail, p < 0.01). The results of this study confirm and quantify the value potential buyers place on thoroughbreds offered for sale in sport disciplines. The findings may help non-profit organizations charged with rehoming off the track thoroughbreds and reduce the number of unwanted thoroughbreds by illustrating the desired traits and skills within the equine market, thus improving welfare optics overall.

Ackonc-AWA: A multi-species animal welfare assessment protocol for wild animals under human care to overcome the use of generic welfare checklists.

Maintaining a high level of animal welfare is essential in zoos, sanctuaries and aquaria for ethical, legislative and functional reasons. Therefore, it is necessary to have welfare assessment protocols that can be incorporated into daily management programs. Currently, there are different approaches to assessing animal welfare in zoos. Those that can be applied to multiple species consist of checklists or qualitative assessments, with limitations, especially regarding the lack of guidance in the selection and interpretation of indicators. Validated protocols also exist, but they are for very few wild species. This study aimed to develop, test in the field, and describe an animal welfare assessment protocol for wild animals under human care, that can be applied to multiple species, intended to overcome the use of generic welfare checklists and offer an alternative to challenging and time consuming species-specific tools. The development process consisted of the elaboration of a protocol, substantiated by published literature on zoo animal welfare and multidisciplinary focus group work, and its on-field feasibility test. This was performed on 14 species of different taxa housed in an Argentinian zoo. The protocol was structured in two forms: an initial form to serve as scan using various animal-based (ABM), resource-based (RBM), and management-based measurements (MBM), and a follow-up form using exclusively ABM. The protocol also included a user's manual with information about preliminary preparation, equipment required, steps from arrival until completion, and details on how to assess each indicator. The scoring method consisted in rating each indicator on a 3-point scale. 23 ABM, 19 RBM, and three MBM were tested and selected to integrate Ackonc-AWA, a multidimensional protocol covering the five animal welfare domains and applicable to multiple species. This protocol was entirely developed in Spanish and can be applied noninvasively and at a low cost, which constitute features of high relevance for Latin America. Further applications of the described welfare assessment tool in other species and different institutional contexts will reinforce the validation of the proposed measurements and allow the systematic and routine evaluation of animal welfare in zoos.

Practices and issues of moulting programs for laying hen: A review

ABSTRACT 1. Moulting is a natural physiological process in birds when they shed their old feathers and replace them with new ones, and is followed by reproductive quiescence resulting in reduced egg production. Different birds undergo moulting at different points in their life. Some birds have seasonal moulting while some moult at the end of their breeding cycle. This review will mainly focus on moulting practices associated with commercial layer birds because, in all other bird types, this is not managed. 2. Commercial farms commonly analyse the cost-benefit ratio to decide the time and method to adopt for moulting. Commercial layer farms adopt different practices to force birds out of moult and restart the production cycle. Animal welfare groups consider this as stressful and against animal welfare, raising questions about the ethics of this practice. 3. Many studies have been conducted using complete or partial feed withdrawal and non-feed withdrawal programs to measure their effectiveness in maintaining animal welfare, economy, and post-moult performance in mind. 4. Animal welfare should not be compromised during moulting. The United States Egg Producers and other such groups from the United Kingdom and Europe have decided to sell eggs produced only through a non-feed withdrawal moulting programs.

Drivers of exit and outcomes for Thoroughbred racehorses participating in the 2017-2018 Australian racing season.

The destinations of Thoroughbred (TB) racehorses exiting the racing industry is a high-profile issue with ethical and welfare implications of interest to both animal welfare groups and racing regulators. This cross-sectional study investigated the reasons that TBs temporarily or permanently exited racing and training in Australia in the 2017–2018 racing season and the outcomes for these horses post-racing. An online questionnaire was sent to the last registered trainers of a representative sample of 2,509 ‘inactive’ TBs. Inactive horses were defined as those horses that were recorded as ‘active’ but had not trialled or raced in the last 6 months of the racing season or had an inactive status recorded in the Racing Australia database. Of the 1,750 responses received, the largest group of inactive TBs had permanently exited the racing industry (45% retired, 5.3% deceased). A relatively large group exited racing temporarily (43%) but participated in the racing industry in the following season. The reasons for retirement were predominantly voluntary, such as poor performance or owner’s request. Almost one third of retirements were due to injuries with tendon or ligament problems the most frequently conditions listed. The median age at retirement was five (Q1 4; Q3 7) years. Extrapolation of the survey results to the population of horses racing or training in Australia in 2017–2018 (n = 37,750) show that that 17% of the population retire each year and 2.1% die. These estimates provide benchmarks for industry and animal welfare organisations to resource and measure the effectiveness of interventions.

CULTURAL IDENTITY, TRADITION, AND THE RITUAL KILLING OF BULLS – A NOTE ON A RECENT DECISION OF THE FRENCH CONSTITUTIONAL COUNCIL ON THE LEGALITY OF BULLFIGHTING

In a recent two-part article in this journal, the authors of this note analysed the controversy surrounding the ritual bull-killing which takes place during the Ukweshwama “first fruits” ceremony held each year in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. While much of the Ukweshwama ceremony is uncontroversial, the ritual killing of a bull by young Zulu warriors with their bare hands attracted strong opposition from certain animal-rights groups, which resulted in legal action and public controversy. The authors attempted to disentangle the different legal, historical, political and philosophical strands which combined to make up a complex story about the place of ancient rituals in the modern world, particularly those involving animal sacrifice. They also attempted to situate the controversy around the Ukweshwama bull-killing ritual within a contemporary global context, by comparing and contrasting the Zulu bull-killing ceremony on the one hand, and Spanish bullfighting on the other. The purpose of the present note is to report on recent developments in what is a global debate on the place of ancient rituals which involve the ritual killing of animals, within modern constitutional democracies. In particular, this note will examine and discuss the outcome of a recent legal challenge brought before the Constitutional Council of the Republic of France by certain animal-welfare groups in that country. The challenge was directed at bringing an end to a legal exception which operates in certain parts of the country – that is, those with an uninterrupted local tradition of bullfighting – excluding bullfighting from the provisions of animal-welfare legislation. The legal, political and cultural issues which arise as a result of this legal challenge are of relevance to those in South Africa who are concerned, one way or the other, about the future of the annual Ukweshwama bull-killing ritual in KwaZulu-Natal. Like it or not, although the bull-killing rituals which take place in the South of France and in KwaZulu-Natal South Africa are very different, the similarities between the rituals and their impact on broader society (legally, politically and culturally), are such that they cannot be ignored. The authors make a similar point in relation to the links between Spanish bullfighting and the Ukweshwama bull-killing ritual.

Influence of Organic and Domestic Claims on Food Product Marketing

This article explains the relative significance of product claims in food product marketing. Eggs are selected as the appropriate product for evaluating the importance of animal welfare and product origin claims. For illustration purposes, this study uses qualitative data for the top four egg-producing countries in Europe: France, Germany, the U.K and Italy. This data is acquired from Mintel GNPD. After the hierarchical clustering technique has been applied, European egg consumers are divided into five groups: premium consumers (23.6%), product-centric consumers (19.6%), indifferent consumers (21.0%), fair consumers (12.0%), and local consumers (23.8%). Substantial differences have been found in the preferences of product claims for each cluster. The results show that both product origin and animal welfare claims are important for European egg consumers, however, each cluster has unique preferences for the intensity of these product claims. Premium, product-centric and fair consumer groups are more interested in animal welfare, while local and indifferent consumer groups consider domestic claims essential.

A Looming Threat? A Survey of Anti-Shechita Agitation in Contemporary Britain

Following the comprehensive defeat of Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party in the 2019 General Election, many British Jews felt relieved that an “existential threat” had been vanquished. Subsequently, however, a different cloud has come on to the horizon: namely, the possibility of a ban on shechita—kosher slaughter—in the United Kingdom. This article argues that the legal status of shechita in Britain is more vulnerable than previously; and that a ban would have an antisemitic effect, regardless of the intention. The article examines the discourse employed by groups agitating for a ban (primarily animal welfare groups, secularists, and the hard right) and the flow of ideas between them. It does not assume that opponents of shechita are motivated by antisemitism but argues that antisemitism is nonetheless a characteristic of anti-shechita agitation as a whole. The article concludes by assessing the likelihood of a ban being implemented in post-Brexit Britain.

Animal Welfare Promotion as a Mechanism of Moral Certification: Microhistorical Evidence From 19th Century Switzerland

Abstract How do nonhuman animal welfare campaigns influence the institutional use of nonhuman animals? This article narrates an episode of nineteenth century history of Geneva, pertaining to the use of nonhuman animals in science, to argue that welfare advocacy is a risky, and indeed sometimes counterproductive, endeavor. In the late nineteenth century, the mainstream Genevan animal welfare group (SGPA) refused to condemn vivisection, and decided to side with Moritz Schiff, a controversial physiologist, provided that he later accepted respecting certain welfare standards in his experiments. The SGPA defended Schiff against the charges of the Genevan abolitionists, and thus provided a metaphorical certificate of “humane treatment” to the vivisector. Behind this moral shield, the laboratory could expand its practices, undisturbed by the need to legitimize them. This episode illustrates the phenomenon of “capture” of the welfarist group by the institutions from which animals are supposed to be protected in the first place.

Application of analytic hierarchy process to evaluate design criteria for humane trap cage.

Atrocities against stray animal’s especially large number of scavenging street dogs have increased at an alarming rate nationwide. Relevant authorities, in view of controlling stray animal population and curb chronic infections mulled cracking down on stray dogs using inhumane methods such as usage of tranquilizers or forcefully capturing. Thus, causing injuries, trauma and potentially death to these captured strays. Even though statistics about the number of violent incidents against strays remains unknown but animal welfare groups report constant complaints regarding animal cruelty. Animal activists mooted a request to design and built a modernize efficient yet low cost trap cage with a provision of technology which are normally ignored by many quarters; as a vehicle to educate the public on humane and compassionate ways to treat stray animals.&#x0D; &#x0D; The design of the cage involves consists of 3 parts, which was electronics hardware, communication system and critically the structure hardware whereby to withstand the possible aggressiveness of the animal. The objective of this paper is to present and apply the techniques of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) in the prioritization and selection of design criteria of the trap cage. The finding shows that out of 5 design criteria, quality criteria is the most important criteria in designing of a humane trap cage issue. This is followed by innovativeness, cost, safety and aesthetics factors.

Developing an Animal Welfare Assessment Protocol for Livestock Transported by Sea.

Simple SummaryAustralia exports large numbers of live cattle and sheep by sea to many destinations. Increasingly high animal welfare standards are being required of all livestock industries, and reports of substantial mortality events on some voyages have raised public concerns regarding animal welfare. Mortality rates alone do not assure stakeholders that livestock experience adequate welfare throughout the voyage. Determining the animal welfare status of large animal consignments is complex and requires many measures that are focused on the environment and resources provided, and also on how the animals respond to their surroundings. A list of measures, appropriate for use on cattle and sheep that enter the livestock export supply chain, was determined by reviewing three international welfare assessment protocols, and consulting the Australian livestock export standards and an animal health handbook used by shipboard veterinarians and stockpersons. After preliminary testing of the measures on a sheep and cattle voyage, we propose a protocol that is potentially practical and applicable for pen assessments for both species at pre-export and destination feedlot facilities and during sea transport. Proposing a protocol is the first step towards developing a system that evaluates livestock welfare throughout the export supply chain, and will contribute to improved industry transparency.Australian livestock industries face increased scrutiny from animal welfare groups and society, and the long-distance transport of livestock by sea has recently gained particular attention. Other than non-compliance with broad regulatory standards and voyage mortality rates, there is minimal information to ascertain the welfare of exported livestock. There is currently no standardised, validated animal welfare assessment protocol for livestock on-farm prior to live export or when undergoing transport. This study describes a novel assessment protocol suitable for use on live feeder and slaughter animals exported by sea from Australia. Health and welfare indicators for use in the livestock export supply chain were identified by reviewing three internationally recognised animal welfare assessment protocols for livestock; Welfare Quality®, AWIN and AssureWel, as well as consulting with industry compliance standards and guidelines. This paper proposes a welfare protocol designed to assess sheep and beef cattle exported by sea from Australia, and incorporates environmental-, resource-, management- and animal-based measures. In collaboration with industry, this welfare protocol can be tested on commercial livestock consignments, and be used for ongoing management, for increased transparency and to provide feedback to operators for continuous improvement.

A Sociological Portrait of the Animal Welfare Movement in Russia

Introduction. Promotion of volunteerism plays an important role in the formation of civil society in Russia. The animal welfare movement is one of the areas of such socially significant activities. Studies in this field are of relevance and practical significance, since the development of the animal welfare movement is a kind of social marker of the moral state of society. The study is aimed at identifying the organizational forms of the animal welfare movement in Russia as well as the motivation for people to participate in this activity, and at drawing up a sociological portrait of the Russian animal welfare activist. Materials and Methods. The article presents the results of two sociological studies: a survey of animal welfare activists (2017) done using the method of informal guided (semi-structured) interviews and an online survey of members of animal welfare groups on social networks (2019) conducted using ‘snowball sampling’ technique. Results. A portrait of a typical representative of the animal welfare movement in Russia has been done. The main achievements and problems of the animal welfare movement in Russia have been identified. The social composition of the animal welfare movement has been revealed as well as the activists’ motivation for participation in volunteering. An assessment of the level of development of the animal welfare in Russia as a whole and in the home regions of the animal welfare activists has been presented. Discussion and Conclusion. The animal welfare movement is represented at the regional and federal levels, the degree of its development being a certain marker of the state of public morality and the level of maturity of civil society. However, the effectiveness of animal welfare activities is constrained by a number of factors: legal, organizational, financial, and informational ones. Overcoming these barriers depends on a sustainable dialogue between the authorities and civil society, especially at the regional level. The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of using its results by the authorities and volunteer movements for the implementation of civil initiatives and their legislative support at the federal and regional levels.

Automated Animal Shelter Management System for Animal Welfare Groups of Sri Lanka

Automated Animal Shelter Management System for Animal Welfare Groups of Sri Lanka

The European Federation of the Pharmaceutical Industry and Associations' Research and Animal Welfare Group: Assessing and benchmarking 'Culture of Care' in the context of using animals for scientific purpose.

The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations’ Research and Animal Welfare group members reflected on the concept of a Culture of Care in relation to animal care and use and on differences in its understanding and application across European pharmaceutical companies. The term ‘Culture of Care’ is used across different regions and organizations but rarely with any defined indicators to support working practice.The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations’ Research and Animal Welfare group has developed a framework to help organizations identify gaps or potential areas for improvement in support of a positive Culture of Care.The framework is a tool that identifies five areas of focus for a Culture of Care: company values; strategic approach at establishment level; implementation structures; staff support; and animal care and procedures. The framework is intended as an aid for continuous improvement, highlighting where indicators of good practice are present. We expect it to provide points of reflection and ideas for those looking to implement a Culture of Care in a structured way, while facilitating a professional and strategic approach. To prevent it supporting a ‘tick-box’ exercise, the framework must not be used as an auditing tool, but as a starting point for consideration and discussion about how care manifests within the context and constraints of individual establishments.

Understanding dairy farmer intentions to make improvements to their management practices of foot lesions causing lameness in dairy cows

Foot lesions causing lameness in dairy cows have been demonstrated to adversely affect milk yield, reproductive performance and longevity, resulting in significant economic burden to individual dairy farmers and the dairy industry. Further, foot lesions compromise dairy cow welfare. Despite this knowledge, foot lesions remain a large problem in many dairy herds woldwide. Therefore, there is potential for dairy farmers to make changes to their current management practices of foot lesions. This study used the social-psychology framework, the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), to explore dairy farmers’ intentions to make improvements to their current management practices of foot lesions in their dairy cows and to identify the underlying behavioral, normative and control beliefs facilitating and constraining this behavior. In accordance with the theoretical framework, Australian dairy farmers were invited to participate in an online questionnaire which included questions regarding intentions, attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control. Fifty-six dairy farmers completed the questionnaire. The overall intention of these dairy farmers to make improvements to their management practices of foot lesions in the next year was moderate. Dairy farmers believed improving their current management practices of foot lesions would improve animal welfare, increase milk production and was worth the cost involved (behavioral beliefs). They indicated that the opinions of consumers, staff, and animal welfare groups were important in their decision to make improvements (normative beliefs). Better equipment and facilities, improved knowledge and training, and a favorable cost-benefit ratio were perceived as factors that would enable dairy farmers to improve their management practices (control beliefs). While all of these beliefs may be considered as potential drivers to facilitate dairy farmers to change their management practices, the behavioral beliefs were identified as the priority beliefs that industry should target in the development of strategies to increase dairy farmer intentions to make improvements to their management practices of foot lesions.

Communicating About Animal Research with the Public.

Animals play a key role in biomedical research and other areas of scientific inquiry. But public opinion plays a key role in influencing how this area of science is regulated and funded. Nevertheless, scientists have historically been reticent to speak openly about their animal research or to open their animal facilities to the public in any way. Consequently, most of the available information has come from those opposed to animal research. This imbalance has led to suspicion and lagging public support for this work. To reverse this effect, efforts are now being made in many parts of the world to increase openness and transparency in this sector. The authors firmly believe that encouraging more institutions to join this movement, focused on better and greater communication, is essential to preserve the research community's "permission" to perform justifiable studies involving animals. For the purposes of this article, we consider "the public" to include that cross-section of society who may be asked their views in opinion poll studies and who may vote in elections. It also includes other influential groups such as the media, scientists working in other disciplines, animal welfare groups, and politicians who may shape regulatory frameworks. Public opinion on this issue matters. The majority of funding for biomedical research comes, either directly or indirectly, from the public purse. In the case of pharmaceutical research, funding derives from selling medicines to consumers. We therefore all have a vested interest in this funding. Furthermore, legislation that covers the use of animals in research is permissive-it allows scientists to do things that might otherwise contravene animal welfare laws. But this permission is normally contingent on complying with strict protective measures designed to ensure the work stays within the ethical framework that public opinion has deemed appropriate. Open and transparent communication is the best way to promote public understanding. There is thus a responsibility on all those involved in animal research, whether scientists, animal care staff, physicians, veterinarians, members of ethics committees, or managers and leaders, to support and promote public awareness and trust in this work. Circumstantial evidence shows that, with such open dialogue, there is decreased targeting and harassment of individuals and job pride and satisfaction for all involved is improved.

An exploration of Peter Singer and Richard Posner's ethical arguments regarding the moral status of animals, with a specific focus on the use of animals for the consumption of food

The use of animals for the consumption of food is becoming a focus in recent times, due to environmental and animal welfare concerns. There has been an increase in research around the environmental concerns of the mass scale of the production of meat, with meat production in 2018 estimated at 330.51 million metric tons. In the UK alone, 182,000 cows were slaughtered in November 2018 and 108.4 million broiler chickens were slaughtered in October 2018. Many animal welfare groups argue against the inhumane conditions animals go through before they reach our plate. Due to this, a record number of people are reducing meat and animal product consumption, with some research indicating over 1.6 million people in the UK are vegan or vegetarian in 2016. With the questions and concerns around eating meat becoming so prominent today, it seems like the perfect time to revisit the philosophical arguments. This article will explore the global scale of using animals for the consumption of food, through the ethical arguments advocated by philosopher Peter Singer, author of Animal Liberation, of affording animals an equal moral status to humans. It will then consider the arguments advanced by Judge Richard Posner, as a tool to offer a critical analysis of Singer’s ideas.

Media framing of the Cayman Turtle Farm: Implications for conservation conflicts

Conflicts over natural resource use and management often arise where groups have different goals or priorities. The media can play an important dual role in these conflicts; article content might offer insights about public opinion, whilst media may shape debates and how issues are perceived by the public and decision-makers. Wildlife farming is a contentious conservation tool attracting the attention of worldwide media, and associated conflicts among different interest groups may undermine its applicability. We investigated the media’s portrayal of the Cayman Turtle Farm (CTF), a facility in the Cayman Islands which breeds green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) for human consumption, to investigate how the media presents information about wildlife farming (i.e. framing), consider its potential roles influencing conflicts and explore how it can be used for conservation conflict management. Content analysis was used to compare framing, article valence, and stakeholder representation in 634 newspaper articles from the international and local media. These media stories were framed in terms of: tourism, conflict, conservation, culture/community, management, and utilisation. International articles most often described CTF as a tourism facility. However, during a media campaign by an international animal welfare group, CTF was also often depicted as a source of controversy. Trade in turtle products was mostly debated in older articles. Local media mainly had a financial focus. Conflict framing was associated with a negative article valence, and conflict framed articles were significantly more likely to contain no conservation information. Mentions of environmental interest groups were significantly associated with negative articles, whereas academics were significantly more likely to be mentioned in positive articles. Conservationists must consider stakeholder objectives from the outset of interventions and be aware of the multiple roles the media might play. Media analysis and effectively harnessing the potential of media outlets should be considered as tools for managing conservation conflicts.