Browsing by Author "Walsh, Debbie"
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- ItemOpen AccessOn the fence: The impact of education on support for electric fencing to mitigate negative human-baboon interactions in Kommetjie, South Africa(2021) Walsh, Debbie; O'riain, Justin; Nattrass, Nicoli; Gaynor, DavidThere are few studies that empirically test whether education can improve stakeholder support for a particular wildlife management/conservation intervention. Evidence-based decision making is critical for conservation actions, especially when people and wildlife are engaged in negative interactions to the detriment of both. Rising human and baboon numbers in the Cape Peninsula of South Africa is associated with increasing levels of damage to properties, both indirect and direct human-induced injury and mortality to baboons. A possible management intervention to reduce these negative interactions is a baboon-proof electric fence which has already been shown to be very effective in the suburb of Zwaanswyk on the Peninsula but surprisingly has low public acceptance. For this study, I produced a short survey that included an educational video on the welfare, conservation, and lifestyle benefits of a baboon-proof electric fence. Two versions of the same survey were created but with the educational video provided either before or after questions pertaining to the level of support for the fence. Using a randomised controlled trial method, I tested whether the level of support for the fence changed according to the order of viewing the video. I also used a pre- and post-test method to explore whether level of support for the fence changed for those who watched the video at the end and were given a chance to answer the question again about level of support for the fence. The results showed that watching the video before the survey increased the average marginal probability of supporting an electric fence by 15 percentage points and reduced the average marginal probability of not supporting the fence by 17 percentage points. There was also a significant difference in level of support for the fence in the pre- and post-test experiment, and my results show that women were more likely to adjust their response in favour of the fence. Implications of these results are significant as managing a peri-urban species is considerably more effective if there is collaboration, agreement, and support for management measures between and within key stakeholders. This study contributes to the emerging literature on the importance of education in managing human-wildlife conflict.
- ItemOpen AccessOn the Fence: The Impact of Education on Support for Electric Fencing to Prevent Conflict between Humans and Baboons in Kommetjie, South Africa(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2023-06-27) Walsh, Debbie; O’Riain, M. Justin; Nattrass, Nicoli; Gaynor, DavidFew studies test whether education can help increase support for wildlife management interventions. This mixed methods study sought to test the importance of educating a community on the use of a baboon-proof electric fence to mitigate negative interactions between humans and Chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) in a residential suburb of the City of Cape Town, South Africa. An educational video on the welfare, conservation and lifestyle benefits of a baboon-proof electric fence was included in a short online survey. The positioning of the video within the survey was randomised either to fall before or after questions probing the level of support for an electric fence. The results showed that watching the video before most survey questions increased the average marginal probability of supporting an electric fence by 15 percentage points. The study also explored whether the educational video could change people’s minds. Those who saw the video towards the end of the survey were questioned again about the electric fence. Many changed their minds after watching the video, with support for the fence increasing from 36% to 50%. Of these respondents, the results show that being female raised the average marginal probability of someone changing their mind in favour of supporting the fence by 19%. Qualitative analysis revealed that support for or against the fence was multi-layered and that costs and concern for baboons were not the only relevant factors influencing people’s choices. Conservation often needs to change people’s behaviours. We need to know what interventions are effective. We show in the real world that an educational video can be effective and can moderately change people’s opinions and that women are more likely to change their position in light of the facts than men. This study contributes to the emerging literature on the importance of education in managing conservation conflicts and the need for evidence-based interventions.