Opinions, attitudes and perceptions of local people towards the conservation of Nigeria‐Cameroon chimpanzees in Mpem‐Djim National Park, central Cameroon
Abstract Local ecological knowledge (LEK), tied to specific cultures, is crucial for sustainability in conservation initiatives. Therefore, including holders of this knowledge in management decisions is essential. Collecting protected area‐specific data on local people's attitudes, opinions and...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2024-04-01
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| Series: | People and Nature |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10621 |
| _version_ | 1797226549715402752 |
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| author | Ernest D. B. Fotsing Meigang M. F. Kamkeng Dietmar Zinner |
| author_facet | Ernest D. B. Fotsing Meigang M. F. Kamkeng Dietmar Zinner |
| author_sort | Ernest D. B. Fotsing |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Local ecological knowledge (LEK), tied to specific cultures, is crucial for sustainability in conservation initiatives. Therefore, including holders of this knowledge in management decisions is essential. Collecting protected area‐specific data on local people's attitudes, opinions and perceptions towards wildlife, especially for highly threatened species like great apes, is therefore crucial for effective conservation. This study emphasizes the importance of LEK as an interdisciplinary approach, highlighting its essential role in informing conservation decisions and understanding human–environment interactions. To fill the information gap on the LEK on the Nigeria‐Cameroon chimpanzee in central Cameroon, we used questionnaires to assess the LEK of respondents specifically their perceptions, opinions and attitudes towards the population trend of chimpanzees, as well as their opinion about the current management systems of Mpem and Djim National Park. We collect data from 240 respondents in 15 villages in the neighbourhood of the park. Using generalized linear mixed models, we were also able to assess socioeconomic and demographic factors that correlate with the opinions, attitudes and perceptions of the respondents towards chimpanzee conservation. About 87% of the respondents exhibited good knowledge about chimpanzees and 59% reported taboos related to chimpanzees. About 94% were aware of laws that prohibit the hunting of chimpanzees, while 87% agreed that it is a good initiative to conserve chimpanzees, and 42% reported that their population increased. Almost half (52%) of the respondents said they were satisfied with the current park management system. Age, gender, education level, number of children in the household and time spent in the community were predictors that influenced the attitude, opinion and perception of the respondents while occupation and the geographic distance between the village and the park did not. Our findings suggest that raising awareness of human–chimpanzee coexistence through adult education programmes should target specific demographic groups, such as those with larger families, limited education, older age, individuals with lower LEK or native. These findings brought insights to guide future studies and should be taken into account when discussing regional management. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T14:26:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-50d71a2779594c0cab3042d7976dc0f8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2575-8314 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T14:26:41Z |
| publishDate | 2024-04-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | People and Nature |
| spelling | doaj.art-50d71a2779594c0cab3042d7976dc0f82024-04-03T04:30:39ZengWileyPeople and Nature2575-83142024-04-016286588110.1002/pan3.10621Opinions, attitudes and perceptions of local people towards the conservation of Nigeria‐Cameroon chimpanzees in Mpem‐Djim National Park, central CameroonErnest D. B. Fotsing0Meigang M. F. Kamkeng1Dietmar Zinner2Department of Biology University of Fribourg Fribourg SwitzerlandLaboratory of Zoology, Faculty of Science University of Yaounde 1 Yaounde CameroonCognitive Ethology Laboratory German Primate Center Göttingen GermanyAbstract Local ecological knowledge (LEK), tied to specific cultures, is crucial for sustainability in conservation initiatives. Therefore, including holders of this knowledge in management decisions is essential. Collecting protected area‐specific data on local people's attitudes, opinions and perceptions towards wildlife, especially for highly threatened species like great apes, is therefore crucial for effective conservation. This study emphasizes the importance of LEK as an interdisciplinary approach, highlighting its essential role in informing conservation decisions and understanding human–environment interactions. To fill the information gap on the LEK on the Nigeria‐Cameroon chimpanzee in central Cameroon, we used questionnaires to assess the LEK of respondents specifically their perceptions, opinions and attitudes towards the population trend of chimpanzees, as well as their opinion about the current management systems of Mpem and Djim National Park. We collect data from 240 respondents in 15 villages in the neighbourhood of the park. Using generalized linear mixed models, we were also able to assess socioeconomic and demographic factors that correlate with the opinions, attitudes and perceptions of the respondents towards chimpanzee conservation. About 87% of the respondents exhibited good knowledge about chimpanzees and 59% reported taboos related to chimpanzees. About 94% were aware of laws that prohibit the hunting of chimpanzees, while 87% agreed that it is a good initiative to conserve chimpanzees, and 42% reported that their population increased. Almost half (52%) of the respondents said they were satisfied with the current park management system. Age, gender, education level, number of children in the household and time spent in the community were predictors that influenced the attitude, opinion and perception of the respondents while occupation and the geographic distance between the village and the park did not. Our findings suggest that raising awareness of human–chimpanzee coexistence through adult education programmes should target specific demographic groups, such as those with larger families, limited education, older age, individuals with lower LEK or native. These findings brought insights to guide future studies and should be taken into account when discussing regional management. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10621attitudechimpanzee conservationgeneralized linear mixed modelslocal ecological knowledgeopinion and perception |
| spellingShingle | Ernest D. B. Fotsing Meigang M. F. Kamkeng Dietmar Zinner Opinions, attitudes and perceptions of local people towards the conservation of Nigeria‐Cameroon chimpanzees in Mpem‐Djim National Park, central Cameroon People and Nature attitude chimpanzee conservation generalized linear mixed models local ecological knowledge opinion and perception |
| title | Opinions, attitudes and perceptions of local people towards the conservation of Nigeria‐Cameroon chimpanzees in Mpem‐Djim National Park, central Cameroon |
| title_full | Opinions, attitudes and perceptions of local people towards the conservation of Nigeria‐Cameroon chimpanzees in Mpem‐Djim National Park, central Cameroon |
| title_fullStr | Opinions, attitudes and perceptions of local people towards the conservation of Nigeria‐Cameroon chimpanzees in Mpem‐Djim National Park, central Cameroon |
| title_full_unstemmed | Opinions, attitudes and perceptions of local people towards the conservation of Nigeria‐Cameroon chimpanzees in Mpem‐Djim National Park, central Cameroon |
| title_short | Opinions, attitudes and perceptions of local people towards the conservation of Nigeria‐Cameroon chimpanzees in Mpem‐Djim National Park, central Cameroon |
| title_sort | opinions attitudes and perceptions of local people towards the conservation of nigeria cameroon chimpanzees in mpem djim national park central cameroon |
| topic | attitude chimpanzee conservation generalized linear mixed models local ecological knowledge opinion and perception |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10621 |
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