Pereira, K, Young, RJ, Boere, V and Silva, I 2018, 'Urban sloths : public knowledge, opinions, and interactions' , Animals, 8 (6) , #90.
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Abstract
Free-range sloths living in an urban environment are rare. In this study, the opinions, attitudes, and interactions with a population of Bradypus variegatus were investigated through short, structured interviews of people in the pubic square where the sloths live, in addition to informal, opportunistic observations of human-sloth interactions. A questionnaire was applied to people in the square where the sloths reside, and informal, opportunistic observations of human-sloth interactions were made. 95% of respondents knew of the sloths’ existence in the square and 87.8% liked their presence. Opinions about population size differed greatly and younger people were concerned as to whether the square was an appropriate place for them. Some human-sloth interactions showed the consequences of a lack of biological knowledge. People initiated all sloth-human interactions. The fact that sloths are strictly folivorous has avoided interactions with humans and, consequently, mitigated any negative impacts of the human-animal interaction on their wellbeing. These results demonstrate that, while there is a harmonious relationship between people and sloths, actions in environmental education of the square’s public could be beneficial for the sloths.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Schools: | Schools > School of Environment and Life Sciences > Ecosystems and Environment Research Centre |
| Journal or Publication Title: | Animals |
| Publisher: | MDPI |
| ISSN: | 2076-2615 |
| Related URLs: | |
| Depositing User: | Professor Robert Young |
| Date Deposited: | 12 Jun 2018 13:26 |
| Last Modified: | 28 May 2019 14:00 |
| URI: | http://usir.salford.ac.uk/id/eprint/47305 |
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