The Elephant Queen: Can a nature documentary help to increase tolerance towards elephants?

Abstract

• Conflict between humans and elephants is one of the more complex examples of human‐wildlife conflict, a key challenge for wildlife conservation. While interventions exist to separate humans from elephants, few exist aimed at bringing the two species closer together.

• This study assesses if a natural history film, The Elephant Queen (TEQ), makes communities living around elephants more tolerant of conflict with elephants. Questionnaires and interviews were conducted before and after seeing the film screened on a mobile cinema in Southern Kenya. A double robust ordinal regression analysis using 357 matching specifications to measure the effect size of viewing TEQ on the six criteria identified as being drivers of tolerance of a wild animal by the Hazard Acceptance model.

• This study found that students aged between 16 and 18 gained knowledge (mean effect size = 0.27) and affection (mean effect size = 0.17) towards elephants and felt the benefits of elephants more keenly (mean effect size = 0.26) following viewing TEQ. Community members aged between 16–80 also gained knowledge (mean effect size = 0.21) and saw the benefits of elephants (mean effect size = 0.15) but felt the costs of living with elephants more profoundly after viewing TEQ (mean effect size = −0.11). After 90 days a follow‐up survey also showed a significant increase in community “affection” towards elephants (mean effect size = 0.11), however the costs, benefits and knowledge gained had been reduced to a statistically insignificant level compared to baseline.

• Our results suggest that natural history films can serve as a valuable tool in inspiring young minds. When shown to an adult audience, changes were more nuanced and some of the changes were short lived (<3 months).

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Muhtasari

• Migogoro kati ya binadamu na tembo ni moja ya mifano tata zaidi ya migogoro ya maisha ya binadamu na wanyamapori, changamoto muhimu kwa uhifadhi wa wanyamapori. Ingawa hatua zipo za kuwatenganisha wanadamu na tembo, ni hatua chache tu zinazolenga kuleta upatanisho.

• Utafiti huu unatathmini ikiwa filamu ya historia ya asili, Malkia wa Tembo, inafanya jamii zinazoishi karibu na tembo kuwa na uvumilivu zaidi wa migogoro. Maswali na mahojiano yalifanyika kabla na baada ya kuona filamu hiyo na ikionyeshwa kwenye sinema tamba Kusini mwa Kenya. Uchanganuzi maradufu wa ‘kiregresheni’ kwa kutumia vipimo 357 vinavyolingana kupimia ukubwa wa athari ya kutazama TEQ kwa vigezo sita vilivyotambuliwa kama viendeshi vya uvumilivu wa mnyama wa mwitu na mfano wa Kukubali Hatari.

• Utafiti huu uligundua kuwa wanafunzi wenye umri kati ya miaka 16–18 walipata maarifa (ukubwa wa athari ya wastani = 0.27) na mapenzi (athari ya wastani = 25 kipimo = 0.17) kwa tembo na waliona faida za tembo kwa umakini zaidi (ukubwa wa athari ya wastani = 0.26) kufuatia kutazama TEQ. Wanajamii wenye umri kati ya miaka 16–80 pia walipata maarifa (athari ya wastani = 27 kipimo = 0.21) na kuona faida za tembo (ukubwa wa athari ya wastani = 0.15) lakini waliona gharama za kuishi na tembo kwa kina zaidi baada ya kutazama TEQ (ukubwa wa athari ya wastani = −0.11). Baada ya siku tisini uchunguzi wa kufuatilia pia ulionyesha ongezeko kubwa la upendo wa jamii kuelekea tembo (ukubwa wa athari ya wastani = 0.11), hata hivyo, gharama, faida na maarifa yaliyopatikana yalikuwa yamepungua hadi kutokuwa na maana.

• Matokeo yetu yanaonyesha kuwa filamu za historia ya asili zinaweza kutumika kama chombo muhimu katika kuhamasisha akili za vijana. Bali kwa watu wazima uhamasishaji huu na maarifa haya yalikuwa ya muda mfupi (chini ya miezi mitatu).

Abstract

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.