Abstract
This paper examines the representation of tigers in Asian wildlife documentaries and argues for greater critical attention to their role in shaping cultural and conservation narratives. While scholarship on wildlife film has been dominated by Western case studies, particularly BBC productions and Hollywood-style “blue-chip” documentaries, the diverse and complex media traditions of Asia remain underexplored. This imbalance obscures the distinct approaches to the tiger that Asian contexts generate as both an ecological subject and a cultural symbol. By situating Asian wildlife documentaries within a longer history of tiger imagery, the research highlights how these films mediate between myth, science, and national identity. Tigers are framed simultaneously as endangered species in need of advocacy and as markers of heritage, spirituality, and territorial belonging. Yet these representations also reveal tensions between spectacle and science, advocacy and entertainment, and global conservation discourse and local cultural meaning. Through close analysis of selected Asian wildlife documentaries, the paper demonstrates how visual strategies, from narration to spectacle, construct the tiger as a contested figure of vulnerability, power, and cultural pride. By foregrounding these under-researched media forms, the study calls for a re-centring of Asian perspectives in communication and media scholarship, while positioning tiger imagery as a key site for understanding how wildlife documentaries act as advocates in global cultural conversations.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2026 Special Focus—The Image as Advocate: Shaping Cultural Conversations
KEYWORDS
TIGERS, WILDLIFE DOCUMENTARIES, CONSERVATION NARRATIVES, ASIAN MEDIA, CULTURAL IDENTITY
