Public attitudes and values regarding a semi-urban feral megaherbivore

Anthropogenic land use has transformed habitats globally, leading to human-wildlife co-habitations that present challenges and opportunities for coexistence. This coexistence is contingent on the nature and frequency of human-animal interactions (HAI) that are primarily shaped by public attitudes and values.2. We designed a questionnaire using the Wildlife Attitudes and Values (WAVS) and Wildlife Value Orientation (WVO) frameworks to investigate public attitudes and values to a feral megaherbivore, the water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), living in and around the South Lantau region of Hong Kong. We collected 657 questionnaire responses (online = 550, in-person =107) and additional comments from 56 respondents who completed their questionnaire in person.3. We conducted a principal component analysis using the questionnaire responses related to WAVS and WVO. Three key dimensions were found: Buffalo Appreciation, Social Benefits, and Tolerance, which accounted for 67.63% of the variance in the data. We conducted a thematic analysis of the additional comments to further explore how these dimensions contextualise public attitudes and values to buffalo.4. Based on 472 responses where all demographic data (self-reported gender, age, district of residence, residency of South Lantau, ethnicity, education level, and place of birth) were available, we conducted logistic regression analyses to investigate the effects of these demographic characteristics on Buffalo Appreciation, Social Benefits, and Tolerance. We found significant associations between gender, district of residence, education level, and place of birth with Buffalo Appreciation, Social Benefits, and Tolerance, implying a complex interplay between public attitudes and values toward a feral animal and their relationships with the natural environment and ecosystem. Fifty-six respondents provided a total of 237 additional comments, highlighting Safety concerns and issues, Emotion and sentiment, and Livelihood impacts as key themes.5. Studying public attitudes and values, such as appreciation for feral buffalo in Hong Kong, potentially points to methods for successful strategies using buffalo as ‘agents’ of conservation. This includes considering social, cultural, and demographic factors for tailored approaches and integrating them into solutions for human-animal interactions facilitating long-term conservation success.