Knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes toward raptors among young urban residents of the Riviera Maya, Mexico

Abstract

ABSTRACT Knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes toward raptors were assessed from July to December 2019 through exploratory research conducted online (n = 278) and in-depth interviews (n = 18) with participants having knowledge of information technologies in urban areas of the Riviera Maya, Quintana Roo, Mexico. Most respondents were young (ages 13–37), permanent residents of the cities of Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Morelos, and Tulum. We found heterogeneous attitudes toward raptors, including “scientific,” “environmentalist-conservationist,” “aesthetic,” “dominant,” and “utilitarian.” Our results suggest that most participants had a relatively high level of knowledge, positive perceptions, and environmentalist-conservationist attitudes toward raptors, probably due to the nature of the convenient sampling applied. We recommend further studies on human-raptor relations in urban and rural localities of coastal Quintana Roo, including residents of Mayan origins. This information may help support strategies and programs to reduce negative perceptions and indifference toward raptors and might support their conservation in the Mexican Riviera Maya.