Predicting residents' intention to conserve the hooded vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus) in the Birem North District, Ghana

Abstract

The vulture as an important and specialized scavenger in human societies, helps clean the environment and prevents diseases. However, plummeting populations across the globe in the last three decades has led to the classification of some species as endangered and critically endangered. This study predicts the intention of residents to support conservation of the hooded vulture in communities near a mine site in the Eastern region of Ghana. Novelty of the current study lies in the use of a social psychology theory to prognosticate human attitude towards a potential vulture population increase. The Theory of Planned Behavior was used as the study framework while data was collected through household survey. The questionnaire assessed attitudes of residents towards the vulture based on a wide range of issues, using a five-point Likert scale. The results indicate that respondents have strong attitudinal disposition towards non-persecution of vultures – a salient determinant of intention to support vulture conservation ( r = 0.66, N = 281, p < 0.01). Variables reflecting attitudes and subjective norm were significant predictors of intention to support vulture conservation but perceived behavioral control was not significant. Interventions aimed at conserving vultures in the study area may succeed if strategies highlight the importance of avian scavengers in human societies and target change in personal attitudes that favor nature conservation in general.

Understanding Entrepreneurial Intentions among University Students: An Empirical Investigation

“…The study revealed that subjective norms and entrepreneurial intentions constructs having the insignificant relationships (Arafat et al, 2020;Doanh & Bernat, 2019;Mfazi & Elliott, 2022). But According to TPB theory subjective norm has significant influence on entrepreneurial intension (Wijerathna et al, 2015;Kankam & Abukari, 2020) This study concluded with a positive relationship between PBC and EI with a path coefficient of 0.554.…”

“…According to Wijerathna et al (2015), the most important variables affecting agricultural students' entrepreneurial intentions in Sri Lanka are subjective norm and attitudes. However, in their research in the eastern region of Ghana, Kankam and Abukari (2020) pointed out that attitudes and subjective norm seem to be good indicators of intentions than perceived behavioural control.…”

Vulture poisoning in Sub-Saharan Africa and its implications for conservation planning: A systematic review

“…The favorable stakeholders' attitude positively shapes the trajectory of performance of the vulture conservation, and brings about affirmative stakeholder social change for sustaining vulture populations [ 79 ]. Social capital can leverage paucity of forensic field protocols, and essential storage and testing facilities [ 9 ].…”

A Survey of the Critically Endangered Vultures of Gashaka Gumti National Park, Nigeria

“…There are published works on vulture populations and the related threats to their conservation in study areas such as game reserves [9], urban settlements [6], wildlife markets [10], and places outside protected areas [11], in Nigeria. However, there is a paucity of published data on vulture populations in protected areas under IUCN category II in Nigeria.…”

“…Thus, depriving conservation biologist the advantage of strategic and pre-emptive planning to outwit and deny wildlife profiteers access to the vultures. According to [5], [6], there is ample evidence of transborder trade in wildlife species including vultures. The vagaries of anthropogenic stressors following intense land use modifications and vulture removals from landscapes are loading the odds against precision surveillance and adaptive conservation of the critically endangered vultures in PAs of Nigeria.…”