Gull feeding in the Chinese urban leisurescape: a netnographic analysis

Abstract

Urbanisation has intensified human-nonhuman interactions, particularly in leisure environments, where humans often exploit animals to meet entertainment needs. Gulls, frequently labelled ‘urban ecological opportunists’, illustrate the complex relationship humans have with city-dwelling wildlife. Recognising that gulls have intrinsic value and sentience, this paper re-evaluates the anthropocentric perspective within leisure contexts, highlighting the ethical dilemmas and welfare issues arising when animals are treated as tools for human satisfaction. Using netnography, we analysed 359 text segments, 960 images, and 125 videos from the Chinese social media platform, RedNote. Findings show that human–gull interactions in urban leisure settings reflect anthropocentric power relations, manifested in two dimensions: food choice and spatial control. In terms of food choice, participants commonly offered ultra-processed foods, disregarding the gulls’ health needs. In terms of spatial control, the analysis reveals three spatial zones, namely intimate, personal, and public. These themes demonstrate how humans manipulate physical proximity through food to achieve different aims, such as taking photographs, experiencing closeness, and avoiding risk. This study underscores the need for ethically informed practices in leisure. It offers both conceptual insights into the complexities of human-animal leisure and practical guidance for policymakers and leisure stakeholders seeking to construct more responsible multispecies leisure models.