Children can fear wild animals and still love nature, study finds
A child who is scared of snakes, spiders or wolves can still love the forest. That is the finding of a new study of 295 children in the United States and the Democratic Republic of Congo, published on 30 October in the journal Frontiers in Psychology.
The children, aged three to 13, rated how afraid they were of 10 animals. They then chose between pairs of photographs, such as a pollinator garden or a plain lawn, and a rainforest or a city. In the United States, 124 children took part while visiting the North Carolina Zoo with their families. In Congo, 171 children came on school trips to Lola ya Bonobo, a sanctuary for orphaned bonobos near Kinshasa.
Fear had little connection to how much the children liked nature. Children who feared wildlife were often just as drawn to forests and gardens as those who were not afraid. One girl in Congo said she was afraid of seven of the 10 animals, yet told researchers: “I like to visit the forest. There are trees to protect me.” Lead researcher Vanessa Woods said: “Instead, we found this fear could coexist with an attraction to the natural world in general.”
Why it matters
The result challenges a long-held idea that every person is born with the same built-in love of living things. The study suggests that attraction to nature varies from person to person, much like being outgoing or eager to try new things, and that fear of animals and love of nature work as two separate systems. That matters for conservation: messages that assume everyone already cares about wildlife may fail to reach many people.
What happens next
The researchers want to find out whether the children’s photo choices match what they actually do outdoors. Woods is discussing follow-up work at Duke University’s Sarah P. Duke Gardens, where children could explore a native plant garden. The study does not yet prove that attraction to nature is a fixed temperament trait: it did not check whether the preferences last as children grow. The researchers also note the limits of their sample: the children were visiting a zoo or a sanctuary, and the American children came with families who could afford tickets.
This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.
Sources
- https://www.earth.com/animals/children-can-be-afraid-of-wild-animals-and-still-love-nature-scientists-find/ (Earth.com, 31 October 2026)
- https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1904601/full (Frontiers in Psychology, 30 October 2026)
