Work

Local awareness of and attitudes towards the pygmy hippopotamusChoeropsis liberiensisin the Moa River Island Complex, Sierra Leone

Year: 2014

Type: article

Abstract: The pygmy hippopotamusChoeropsis liberiensisis an Endangered species found only in the Upper Guinea rainforests of West Africa. Using a two-phase approach, with initial semi-structured interviews followed by more extensive questionnaires, we examined local residents' awareness of and attitudes towards the pygmy hippopotamus along the Moa River near Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary in Sierra Leone. The interviews and questionnaires addressed human–hippopotamus interactions, local knowledge and awareness of pygmy hippopotamus ecology and behaviour, and public attitudes towards hippopotamus conservation. Overall, 22% of questionnaire respondents acknowledged benefits related to hippopotamus conservation; factors affecting the perception of benefits included age, livestock ownership, distance from Tiwai Island and exposure to conservation programmes. The results of this study could be used to inform the conservation of the pygmy hippopotamus and highlight the critical role of local support in the management of threatened species in biodiversity hotspots.

Source: Oryx

DOI: 10.1017/s003060531300077x

Authors: April L. Conway, Sonia M. Hernandez, John P. Carroll, Gary T. Green, Lincoln Larson

Institutions: University of Georgia, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Cornell University

Language: English

Topic: Wildlife Ecology and Conservation

Subfield: Ecology

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Life on land

Open Access status: bronze