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Ophidiophobia, myth generation, and human perceptions: Implications for snake conservation in a typical savanna community of northern Ghana
Human Dimensions of Wildlife ( IF 1.6 ) Pub Date : 2021-07-14 , DOI: 10.1080/10871209.2021.1952357
Yahaya Musah 1 , Daniel K. Attuquayefio 1 , Abigail N. A. Pobee 1 , Lars H. Holbech 1
Affiliation  

ABSTRACT

Snakes have fascinated and terrified humans throughout history. Worldwide, innate fear (ophidiophobia), culturally-founded superstition, and myths have caused pervasive snake persecution, snakebite mismanagement, human injuries, and fatalities, particularly in the tropics. We analyzed 20 common snake myths narrated by 934 respondents inhabiting a typical rural savanna community of northern Ghana. The myths summarized perceived, self-assessed knowledge about snakes and were evaluated in their zoo-ecological contexts versus their folkloristic explanatory origins. Only eight snake myths (~40%) had any justifiable scientific basis, partially representing misinterpretations among predominantly male, less-educated respondents. Contrastingly, 70% of the myths were largely rooted in ophidiophobia, representing a major driver of human-wildlife conflict and indiscriminate snake persecution. To promote wildlife-friendly perceptions and behavior toward snakes and their conservation, we recommend innovative gap-bridging conservation education and public awareness that reconciles myths and realities about snakes, thus reducing snakebite incidences, mortality, and widespread persecution and killing of snakes.



中文翻译:

恐蛇症、神话的产生和人类认知:对加纳北部典型稀树草原社区蛇保护的启示

摘要

纵观历史,蛇一直让人类着迷和恐惧。在世界范围内,先天的恐惧(恐惧症)、基于文化的迷信和神话导致了普遍的蛇迫害、蛇咬伤管理不善、人身伤害和死亡,特别是在热带地区。我们分析了居住在加纳北部一个典型的农村稀树草原社区的 934 名受访者讲述的 20 种常见的蛇神话。这些神话总结了关于蛇的感知和自我评估知识,并在它们的动物园生态环境中与它们的民俗解释起源进行了评估。只有八个蛇神话(约 40%)有任何合理的科学依据,部分代表了主要是男性、受教育程度较低的受访者的误解。相比之下,70% 的神话很大程度上源于恐惧症,代表人类与野生动物冲突和不分青红皂白的蛇迫害的主要驱动力。为了促进对蛇及其保护的野生动物友好观念和行为,我们建议创新的差距弥合保护教育和公众意识,以调和关于蛇的神话和现实,从而减少蛇咬伤的发生率、死亡率以及对蛇的广泛迫害和杀戮。

更新日期:2021-07-14
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