Perceptions and Attitudes among Venders towards Non-human Primates in Mihintale Wildlife Sanctuary in Sri Lanka

H W R Kumara,C A D Nahallage,M A Huffman

doi:10.4038/ijms.v5i2.105

Abstract

A number of studies have revealed that age, gender, ethnicity, level of education, political attitude, landholding size, period of residency and religion all influence attitudes towards wildlife. Attitudes also exhibit regional differences. However, religious beliefs of Sri Lankans and cultural practices play an important role when deciding the perceptions and attitudes toward primates. An important feature of this country is the presence of monkeys at Buddhist temples and archeological sites. Social and environmental conditions are deeply and inextricably linked, an important component of conservation, and the management of human-wildlife conflict, is therefore the examination of people’s behaviour and perceptions regarding wildlife and the factors that influence these perceptions. This study was carried out in Mihintale wildlife Sanctuary in Anuradhapura district. To understand the nature of human attitude towards primates at the Mihintale wildlife sanctuary, the mixed methods approach was used for data collection. Interviews were conducted from April 2016 to September 2016. Direct interviews were conducted opportunistically with 57 venders in Sinhalese language to learn about macaques and langurs and their interactions with humans. The relationship with the venders and primates is complicated and filled with ambiguity. Venders are happy to see primates and other mammals in the wild, however, primates are not welcome near their business places. High population numbers and the inability to control monkeys are major concerns for venders. The nature of attitude onward each primate species depended on the level of interaction between humans and primate species. The attitude was negative toward the gray langurs and toque macaques, due to stealing of displayed toys, food items and the damage cause to the roofs of small shops, threatening venders and pilgrims when taking food by force. However, no negative attitude towards purple-faced leaf langurs. This study is important for conservation and for understanding the human perspective and attitude towards primates, when entwined with scientific evidence, offers a holistic understanding to one of the major problems in Sri Lanka, the human primate conflict. KEYWORDS: R eligious beliefs, Human-wildlife conflict, Primates, Perspective, Conservation

Highlights

Values are the range of orientations towards an object that provide the foundation for an individual’s attitudes, which in turn guides the interpretation and use of the object (Manfredo et al 2003; Manfredo 2009)
Mihintale is noteworthy as the world's oldest wildlife sanctuary, established more than 2200 years ago and human primate interactions have no doubt been going on from the beginning of the sanctuary’s establishment, if not earlier when it was the hunting grounds of the King
Peoples’ religious beliefs, folk beliefs and cultural context play an important role in defining the terms of human primate interactions and attitudes towards primates

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Values are the range of orientations towards an object that provide the foundation for an individual’s attitudes, which in turn guides the interpretation and use of the object (Manfredo et al 2003; Manfredo 2009). Attitudes show regional differences (Kellert 1997; Conover 1998) It is often the distance a person resides from a wildlife area that most strongly influences attitudes, with most people living closer to wild areas holding more negative views towards wildlife (Fiallo & Jacobson 1995; Webber 2006; Nijman & Nekaris 2010). The main objective of this study is to determine the attitudes among venders towards nonhuman primates; the toque macaque (M. sinica), purple-faced leaf langur (Semnopithecus vetulus philbricki) and crested gray langur (Semnopithecus priam thersites) at Mihintale wildlife sanctuary, North Central Province, Sri Lanka. The north central dry zone of Sri Lanka provided an ideal opportunity to study the attitude towards primates and interaction of these species with human

METHODOLOGY

Findings

AND DISCUSSION