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RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)
Contents Vol 31(2)

The absurdity of nature love through aviary bird-keeping

Minh-Hoang Nguyen https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7520-3844 A * and Quan-Hoang Vuong A B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Centre for Interdisciplinary Social Research, Phenikaa University, Yen Nghia Ward, Ha Dong District, Hanoi, Vietnam.

B University College, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-Gu, Seoul 02841, South Korea.

* Correspondence to: hoang.nguyenminh@phenikaa-uni.edu.vn

Handling Editor: Graham Fulton

Pacific Conservation Biology 31, PC25003 https://doi.org/10.1071/PC25003
Submitted: 7 January 2025  Accepted: 18 March 2025  Published: 8 April 2025

© 2025 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

As mounting evidence highlights the human-driven extinction of avian species, reconnecting people with nature – particularly where birds are concerned – has become essential for engaging the public in conservation and the preservation of avian biodiversity. Paradoxically, heightened awareness of the benefits birds bring has fueled the rise of aviary bird-keeping for entertainment in Vietnam. This paper seeks to unravel the absurdity of bird keepers who claim to love nature and support conservation while engaging in practices that exploit and commodify birds for human interests. Through contrasting the values generated by birds in aviaries with those in natural habitats, the role of an eco-deficit culture – or, more fundamentally, humanity’s insatiable greed – in fostering this absurd form of ‘nature love’ is highlighted.

Keywords: avian biodiversity loss, aviary bird-keeping, biodiversity conservation, bird lovers, natural absurdity, nature love.

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