Meanings
- pluralplural onlyLarge animals with broad popular appeal, especially as used by activists to focus public opinion on environmentalist goals.
Conservationists often talk about the power of charismatic megafauna to get the public to care about the environment.
2011, Emma Marris, Rambunctious Garden, page 1562 more examples
We might examine first the special nature of restoration or preservation issues as they relate to charismatic megafauna, the high-profile species of which wolves are a classic example.
2001, Daniel Kemmis, Wolves and Human Communities, page 9Of course, it's easier to raise money for something fluffy. Charismatic megafauna like the panda do appeal to people's emotional side, and attract a lot of public attention.
2009 September 23, The Guardian
Translations
Finnish karismaattiset lajit
- karismaattiset lajitlarge animals with broad popular appeal
French mégafaune charismatique
- mégafaune charismatiquelarge animals with broad popular appeal
Polish charyzmatyczna megafauna
- charyzmatyczna megafaunalarge animals with broad popular appeal
Portuguese megafauna carismática, fofofauna
- megafauna carismáticalarge animals with broad popular appeal
- fofofaunalarge animals with broad popular appeal
Spanish megafauna carismática
- megafauna carismáticalarge animals with broad popular appeal
Cite this entry
charismatic megafauna. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/charismatic%20megafauna
“charismatic megafauna.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/charismatic%20megafauna. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “charismatic megafauna,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/charismatic%20megafauna.
Source: charismatic megafauna on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.