Perceptions and Attitudes of Urucum Settlement Residents about Local Wildlife

Bibliographic Data

ID2162139
AuthorsPricila Fátima De Souza (0000-0002-7109-8469, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco), Grasiela Porfirio (0000-0003-0837-7489, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco), Heitor Miraglia Herrera (0000-0003-2404-8765, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco)
Year2019
Volume32
Issue1
Pages117-127
Publication date2019-01-02
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAnthrozoös (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0892-7936 • E-ISSN: 1753-0377
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/08927936.2019.1550285
OpenAlexW2910943019
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited25

This study aimed to evaluate perceptions and attitudes of local people about wild fauna and was carried out in the Urucum settlement, in the Brazilian Pantanal. We sought to: (1) identify which species of wild animals were most frequently chosen by residents of the Urucum settlement based on their familiarity; (2) identify the values associated with this fauna and the implications for conservation; and (3) test the effect of gender, age, and level of education of the residents on their attitudes. We used a structured questionnaire with open and closed questions to interview the residents. Distributions of responses about perceptions were analyzed using the chi-square test, and differences between the values associated with each species were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test. The effect of gender, age, and level of education on attitudes toward the most chosen species was tested using generalized linear models (GLM). Among 61 residents interviewed, we found that the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), toucan (Ramphastos toco), monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus), rhea (Rhea Americana), and rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus) were the most frequently chosen species. These species were followed by tropical freshwater fish (a fish of the genus Astyanax sp.) and the blue morpho butterfly (Morpho sp.), both chosen with equal frequency. Most perceptions and attitudes were positive apart from those for the rattlesnake. Attitudes toward the rattlesnake were associated with the age of respondents, and the most common value associated with conserving the selected animals was "Anthropocentric." As demonstrated by other studies, contact with environmental education activities could help to promote tolerance to rattlesnakes. Likewise, this tool can also broaden our understanding of the ecological importance of wild species, facilitating their conservation

Armadillo · Biology · Dasypus novemcinctus · Fauna · Geography · Socioeconomics · Sociology · Veterinary medicine · Wildlife · Zoology · Amphibian and Reptile Biology · Animal and Plant Science Education · Medicine · Species Distribution and Climate Change · Ecology