Assessing of the level of knowledge, attitude and practices in communities co-existing with bats around Queen Elizabeth conservation area

Abstract

For conservation efforts to succeed it is imperative that people’s knowledge, attitude and practices are well understood and comprehensively addressed. The purpose of this study therefore was to establish the level of knowledge, attitude and practices of communities co-existing with bats around Queen Elizabeth National Park Kasese and Rubirizi district. A cross-sectional survey using questionnaires was conducted in two sub-counties of Lake Katwe and Muhokya involving 150 respondents. Result indicated that 95% of the respondents had low levels of knowledge about bats. Thirteen percent considered bats of cultural benefit. Furthermore, house destruction 39% and fear of disease 24% were the greatest importance of bats. With this respect, bats were persecuted 100%. Spraying (58%) and the use of nets (15%) were the most preferred practices. Therefore, proper awareness and eco-friendly control program should be adopted and properly executed to increase tolerance and reduce risk of pollution.