Uyeda Linda T, Iskandar Entang, Wirsing Aaron J, Kyes Randall C
School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NZ, UK.
Animals (Basel). 2022 Aug 11;12(16):2051. doi: 10.3390/ani12162051.
Snakes are commonly associated with feelings of anxiety or disgust, and snake conservation is often hindered by negative attitudes and perceptions. Although global snake populations are generally in decline, snakebite envenomation (SBE) continues to be recognized as a serious public health issue, particularly in rural areas of tropical and subtropical countries. Data on SBE, a neglected tropical disease, are lacking, and Indonesia, a hotspot of venomous snake diversity, has no snake bite reporting system. We analyzed 127 survey results in Banten, Indonesia with the aim of documenting SBE and exploring the relationships between respondents' experiences, attitudes, and behaviors toward snakes. Nine percent of respondents had experienced SBE, and knowledge of SBE incidents was associated with negative attitudes toward snake populations, with negative attitudes toward snakes associated with a higher likelihood of anti-conservation behavior. Women were more fearful than men, and women and those with lower education levels were more negative toward pythons (), suggesting that increased knowledge may aid in snake conservation efforts. Universally negative risk beliefs and attitudes toward venomous snakes indicate a need to reduce the threat of SBE in our study area.
蛇通常与焦虑或厌恶的情绪联系在一起，而蛇类保护常常受到负面态度和观念的阻碍。尽管全球蛇类种群总体上在减少，但蛇咬伤中毒（SBE）仍然被视为一个严重的公共卫生问题，尤其是在热带和亚热带国家的农村地区。关于SBE（一种被忽视的热带疾病）的数据匮乏，而拥有丰富毒蛇种类的印度尼西亚却没有蛇咬伤报告系统。我们分析了印度尼西亚万丹省的127份调查结果，目的是记录SBE情况，并探索受访者对蛇的经历、态度和行为之间的关系。9%的受访者曾经历过SBE，对SBE事件的了解与对蛇类种群的负面态度相关，对蛇的负面态度又与更高的反保护行为可能性相关。女性比男性更恐惧，女性和教育水平较低的人对蟒蛇的态度更负面（），这表明增加知识可能有助于蛇类保护工作。对毒蛇普遍负面的风险认知和态度表明，有必要在我们的研究区域降低SBE的威胁。
