Use campaigns and public information to improve behaviour towards mammals and reduce threats

Overall effectiveness category Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)
Number of studies: 2
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How is the evidence assessed?

Effectiveness

40%
Certainty

30%
Harms

0%

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Background information and definitions

Mammals face a range of threats from humans. These may include exploitation through hunting or persecution if the mammal is perceived as a threat or a nuisance. In some cases, mammals are protected by regulations and laws but these may be difficult to enforce. Some infringements may be difficult to detect whilst, in other cases, people may be unaware of their responsibilities under such rules. Campaigns may be designed to increase compliance with laws, to encourage reporting of infringements, such as illegal hunting, or to reduce behaviours that can be a threat to mammals, such as consumption of products derived from wild mammals. These may use a variety of media and ranging from broadcasting and social media through to word of mouth.

Study locations

Key messages

Two studies evaluated the effects of using campaigns and public information to improve behaviour towards mammals and reduce threats. One study was in the USA and one was in Lao People's Democratic Republic.

COMMUNITY RESPONSE (0 STUDIES)

POPULATION RESPONSE (0 STUDIES)

BEHAVIOUR (0 STUDIES)

OTHER (2 STUDIES)

Human behaviour change (2 studies): A randomized, replicated, controlled, before-and-after study in the USA found that displaying education signs did not reduce the percentage of garbage containers that were accessible to black bears. A controlled, before-and-after study in Lao People's Democratic Republic found that a social marketing campaign promoting a telephone hotline increased reporting of illegal hunting.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

A randomized, replicated, controlled, before-and-after study in 2007 in a residential area in Colorado, USA (Baruch-Mordo et al. 2011) found that displaying education signs about the danger of garbage to black bears Ursus americanus did not reduce the percentage of garbage containers that were not wildlife-resistant or wildlife-proof. The overall proportion of households using garbage containers that were not wildlife-resistant or wildlife-proof declined during the study. However, where signage was used, the trend in households not using wildlife-resistant garbage containers (after: 0–31%; before: 11–52%) did not differ from where signage was not used (after: 7–27%; before: 9–45%). Dumpsters were surveyed at 68 communal housing complexes. Thirty-four were randomly selected for placement of signs on dumpsters, warning of dangers of unsecured garbage to bears. Similarly, 42 construction sites were surveyed, with signage used at 22 of these. Dumpsters were surveyed in July –September 2007, for three weeks before and three weeks after installing signage. Violations were use of unsecured containers, unsecure dumpster storage outside kerbside collection times, garbage outside dumpsters and, on building sites, food waste in open dumpsters.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Baruch-Mordo S., Breck S.W., Wilson K.R. & Broderick J. (2011) The carrot or the stick? Evaluation of education and enforcement as management tools for human-wildlife conflicts. PLoS ONE, 6.
A controlled, before-and-after study in 2009–2010 in 57 villages in and around a protected area in Lao People's Democratic Republic (Saypanya et al. 2013) found that a social marketing campaign to promote a newly created telephone hotline increased reporting of illegal hunting. Villagers exposed to the social marketing campaign were significantly more likely to report illegal hunting after the campaign. The reporting rate of the villages not exposed to the campaign did not change significantly (data not reported). In 2009, a telephone hotline was set up for villagers to report illegal hunting. In 36 villages, a social marketing campaign was used to promote the hotline. Twenty-one similar villages did not receive the campaign. Surveys of both groups were conducted before and after the social marketing campaign took place.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Saypanya S., Hansel T., Johnson A., Bianchessi A. & Sadowsky B. (2013) Effectiveness of a social marketing strategy, coupled with law enforcement, to conserve tigers and their prey in Nam Et Phou Louey National Protected Area, Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Conservation Evidence, 10, 57-66.

Please cite as:

Littlewood, N.A., Rocha, R., Smith, R.K., Martin, P.A., Lockhart, S.L., Schoonover, R.F., Wilman, E., Bladon, A.J., Sainsbury, K.A., Pimm S. and Sutherland, W.J. (2020) Terrestrial Mammal Conservation: Global Evidence for the Effects of Interventions for terrestrial mammals excluding bats and primates. Synopses of Conservation Evidence Series. University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

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This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Terrestrial Mammal Conservation

Related Actions

Actions	Effectiveness	Studies	Category
Train and support local staff to help reduce persecution of mammals Action Link	Likely to be beneficial	1	Synopsis Link
Publish data on ranger performance to motivate increased anti-poacher efforts Action Link	Likely to be beneficial	1	Synopsis Link
Provide science-based films, radio programmes, or books about mammals to improve behaviour towards mammals and reduce threats Action Link	No evidence found (no assessment)	0	Synopsis Link