Title
Do social factors influence perceptions of the jaguar Panthera onca in Ecuador?
Author(s)
Álvarez, Hernán G.; Zapata-Ríos, Galo
Published
2022
Publisher
ORYX
Abstract
In Latin America, the jaguar Panthera onca is one of the most persecuted and hunted carnivores as a result of its depredation of livestock. In north-west Ecuador jaguar populations are highly threatened, and the largest known population (20–30 individuals) is in El Pambilar Wildlife Refuge, a wet tropical forest surrounded by degraded forests and an agricultural matrix. As the killing of jaguars is one of the main threats to this population, its conservation depends on the perceptions and behaviour of the people living in this region. We interviewed people from 159 households (64% of the total) in eight communities in the buffer zone of the Wildlife Refuge, to examine people's perceptions of any harm caused by jaguars, and to determine the factors that influence these perceptions. In general, people perceived that jaguars caused little harm to their domestic animals or to themselves. However, our models showed that young people with a low level of formal education are the demographic group most likely to hold negative attitudes towards the jaguar, suggesting this group could potentially benefit from involvement in environmental education and awareness programmes.
Keywords
Conservation; Ecuador; Ecuadorian Chocó; El Pambilar Wildlife Refuge; human–wildlife interactions; jaguar; Panthera onca; psychological factors
Access Full Text
A full-text copy of this article may be available. Please email the WCS Library to request.
![]()
Back
PUB27142