On the Fence: The Impact of Education on Support for Electric Fencing to Prevent Conflict between Humans and Baboons in Kommetjie, South Africa
Few studies test whether education can help increase support for wildlife management interventions. This mixed methods study sought to test the importance of educating a community on the use of a baboon-proof electric fence to mitigate negative interactions between humans and Chacma baboons (<i&g...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Animals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/13/2125 |
| _version_ | 1797592175759851520 |
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| author | Debbie Walsh M. Justin O’Riain Nicoli Nattrass David Gaynor |
| author_facet | Debbie Walsh M. Justin O’Riain Nicoli Nattrass David Gaynor |
| author_sort | Debbie Walsh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Few studies test whether education can help increase support for wildlife management interventions. This mixed methods study sought to test the importance of educating a community on the use of a baboon-proof electric fence to mitigate negative interactions between humans and Chacma baboons (<i>Papio ursinus</i>) in a residential suburb of the City of Cape Town, South Africa. An educational video on the welfare, conservation and lifestyle benefits of a baboon-proof electric fence was included in a short online survey. The positioning of the video within the survey was randomised either to fall before or after questions probing the level of support for an electric fence. The results showed that watching the video before most survey questions increased the average marginal probability of supporting an electric fence by 15 percentage points. The study also explored whether the educational video could change people’s minds. Those who saw the video towards the end of the survey were questioned again about the electric fence. Many changed their minds after watching the video, with support for the fence increasing from 36% to 50%. Of these respondents, the results show that being female raised the average marginal probability of someone changing their mind in favour of supporting the fence by 19%. Qualitative analysis revealed that support for or against the fence was multi-layered and that costs and concern for baboons were not the only relevant factors influencing people’s choices. Conservation often needs to change people’s behaviours. We need to know what interventions are effective. We show in the real world that an educational video can be effective and can moderately change people’s opinions and that women are more likely to change their position in light of the facts than men. This study contributes to the emerging literature on the importance of education in managing conservation conflicts and the need for evidence-based interventions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:47:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0f7079f8ef5c4cb88b74be3cc3ed9526 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:47:43Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-0f7079f8ef5c4cb88b74be3cc3ed95262023-11-18T16:03:20ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152023-06-011313212510.3390/ani13132125On the Fence: The Impact of Education on Support for Electric Fencing to Prevent Conflict between Humans and Baboons in Kommetjie, South AfricaDebbie Walsh0M. Justin O’Riain1Nicoli Nattrass2David Gaynor3Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa (iCWild), University of Cape Town, Private Bag, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7701, South AfricaInstitute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa (iCWild), University of Cape Town, Private Bag, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7701, South AfricaInstitute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa (iCWild), University of Cape Town, Private Bag, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7701, South AfricaMammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, Pretoria 0028, South AfricaFew studies test whether education can help increase support for wildlife management interventions. This mixed methods study sought to test the importance of educating a community on the use of a baboon-proof electric fence to mitigate negative interactions between humans and Chacma baboons (<i>Papio ursinus</i>) in a residential suburb of the City of Cape Town, South Africa. An educational video on the welfare, conservation and lifestyle benefits of a baboon-proof electric fence was included in a short online survey. The positioning of the video within the survey was randomised either to fall before or after questions probing the level of support for an electric fence. The results showed that watching the video before most survey questions increased the average marginal probability of supporting an electric fence by 15 percentage points. The study also explored whether the educational video could change people’s minds. Those who saw the video towards the end of the survey were questioned again about the electric fence. Many changed their minds after watching the video, with support for the fence increasing from 36% to 50%. Of these respondents, the results show that being female raised the average marginal probability of someone changing their mind in favour of supporting the fence by 19%. Qualitative analysis revealed that support for or against the fence was multi-layered and that costs and concern for baboons were not the only relevant factors influencing people’s choices. Conservation often needs to change people’s behaviours. We need to know what interventions are effective. We show in the real world that an educational video can be effective and can moderately change people’s opinions and that women are more likely to change their position in light of the facts than men. This study contributes to the emerging literature on the importance of education in managing conservation conflicts and the need for evidence-based interventions.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/13/2125baboon-proof fenceconservation managementeducationevidence-based interventionhuman–wildlife conflictspatial overlap |
| spellingShingle | Debbie Walsh M. Justin O’Riain Nicoli Nattrass David Gaynor On the Fence: The Impact of Education on Support for Electric Fencing to Prevent Conflict between Humans and Baboons in Kommetjie, South Africa Animals baboon-proof fence conservation management education evidence-based intervention human–wildlife conflict spatial overlap |
| title | On the Fence: The Impact of Education on Support for Electric Fencing to Prevent Conflict between Humans and Baboons in Kommetjie, South Africa |
| title_full | On the Fence: The Impact of Education on Support for Electric Fencing to Prevent Conflict between Humans and Baboons in Kommetjie, South Africa |
| title_fullStr | On the Fence: The Impact of Education on Support for Electric Fencing to Prevent Conflict between Humans and Baboons in Kommetjie, South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | On the Fence: The Impact of Education on Support for Electric Fencing to Prevent Conflict between Humans and Baboons in Kommetjie, South Africa |
| title_short | On the Fence: The Impact of Education on Support for Electric Fencing to Prevent Conflict between Humans and Baboons in Kommetjie, South Africa |
| title_sort | on the fence the impact of education on support for electric fencing to prevent conflict between humans and baboons in kommetjie south africa |
| topic | baboon-proof fence conservation management education evidence-based intervention human–wildlife conflict spatial overlap |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/13/2125 |
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