CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2017
| Author | Sukanan, Darunee |
|---|---|
| Title | Community attitudes toward bears, bear bile use and bear conservation in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR |
| Summary | A new bear sanctuary is under construction in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR, which aims to provide a haven for bears rescued from bile farms and wildlife traffickers. However, in order for conservation efforts at the sanctuary to be truly successful, collaboration with local communities is essential. Understanding the level of support in those communities is therefore vital for ongoing conservation efforts, including outreach. This research comprises a household survey that was administered in five villages in the immediate vicinity of the new bear sanctuary as well as in-depth interviews conducted with key community representatives. The questionnaire was designed to assess local people’s economic status and their current attitudes towards bears, bear bile use and bear conservation in general. In addition, a representative of the conservation organization (Free the Bears Fund) behind the new sanctuary was interviewed in order to gain insight into the nonprofit’s public relations programs targeted at nearby communities. The results of the research show that people in the communities have generally positive attitudes towards bears and bear conservation. However, many locals lack sufficient knowledge about the current situation of both wild bears and captive bears in Lao PDR. This could be due to as yet inadequate outreach to create incentives for locals that might positively influence their attitudes. Based on these results, it is argued that local communities will need to be further integrated into conservation efforts while simultaneously enhancing knowledge of conservation issues in these communities through improved outreach and communication. |
| Supervisor | Anthony, Brandon P. |
| Department | Environment Sciences and Policy MSc |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2017/sukanan_darunee.pdf |
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