Knowledge, perceptions, and declared attitudes of rural and urban students toward wild vertebrates in Facatativá, Colombian Andes

Background Perceptions, cultural beliefs, and attitudes toward wildlife, shape how younger generations relate to biodiversity and conservation. These relationships may differ between rural and urban contexts due to variation in wildlife encounters, environmental information, and sociocultural experiences. However, comparative evidence remains limited in Colombia. Therefore, this study assessed species recognition, perceptions, symbolic beliefs, declared uses, and self-reported responses to hypothetical encounters with 14 wild vertebrate species among secondary school students in Facatativá, Colombian Andes. Methods Between May 2023 and March 2025, semi-structured questionnaires were administered to 627 students from five educational institutions, including two rural and three urban schools. The questionnaire assessed species recognition, emotions (fear and disgust), perceived risks (danger and disease transmission), perceived environmental benefits, domestic and food uses, cultural beliefs (superstitions), and students’ self-reported responses to hypothetical encounters with wildlife. Data were analyzed using permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) to evaluate the effects of sociodemographic variables and the relationships among knowledge, cultural beliefs, perceptions, and attitudes. Results The most widely recognized species were the common toad ( Rhinella horribilis ), the opossum ( Didelphis pernigra ), and the coati ( Nasua olivacea ), whereas birds and several reptile species showed lower recognition rates. Negative emotional responses were primarily associated with snakes, bats, and opossums, which were commonly linked to fear, danger, and disease transmission. In contrast, several bird species were positively valued because of their perceived environmental benefits. Cultural beliefs associated with owls, snakes, bats, and blackbirds persisted among students, particularly those relating to witchcraft, death, and bad luck. Significant differences were found according to species, gender, school type, and, to a lesser extent, locality. The structural equation model showed that the cognitive system, composed of knowledge and cultural beliefs, explained a large proportion of negative emotional responses, which in turn represented the strongest predictor of attitudes toward wildlife. Conclusions Students’ attitudes toward wildlife are not determined solely by biological knowledge but rather emerge from the interaction of cognitive, emotional, cultural, and sociodemographic factors. Cultural beliefs and negative emotions play a central role in shaping students’ responses to different wildlife species. These findings highlight the need to develop context-specific environmental education programs that integrate ecological knowledge, cultural values, and emotional dimensions to promote more informed and positive relationships with wildlife, ultimately contributing to biodiversity conservation. Clinical trial number Not applicable.