Reel conservation: Can big screen animations save tropical biodiversity?

Outreach and education on conservation issues are crucial elements of successful conservation programmes. Big screen animations have a global reach, yet are not fully capitalised by conservationists. There remains great potential in developing them into powerful biodiversity and conservation education outreach tools despite known limitations in scientific value. We reviewed recent major animated films with multiple conservation themes (e.g. extinction, wildlife trade, ex-situ conservation) that feature tropical biodiversity, especially endemics, charismatic flagship or threatened species in authentic natural settings. We acknowledge that while the potential to develop animated films into effective biodiversity and conservation education tools is undoubted, there is a crucial need to complement them with supporting education materials, campaigns and activities. Partnerships formed between animation studios, conservation NGOs and local stakeholders will be essential in such efforts.