Influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on public attitudes toward bats in Arkansas and implications for bat management
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Publication Date
7-30-2020
Publication Title
Human Dimensions of Wildlife
Volume Number
26
Issue Number
1
Abstract
Despite the ecosystem services that bats provide, they are often feared by the public due to their association with vampire lore and role as vectors of rabies and other zoonotic diseases (Tuttle, Citation2013). The negative public risk perceptions of and attitudes toward bats has challenged bat conservation in the U.S. (Frick et al., Citation2019). Such views have led to mass-killing events that have contributed to the need for federal protection of species such as the gray bat (Myotis grisescens) (O’Shea et al., Citation2016; Tuttle, Citation2013). Conservation and educational efforts appear to have resulted in more positive attitudes toward bats in recent years (George et al., Citation2016; Sexton & Stewart, Citation2007); however, negative media messaging surrounding the connection between bats and emerging infectious diseases has the potential to reverse these gains (Lopez-Baucells et al., Citation2018; Schneeberger & Voigt, Citation2016). The present COVID-19 pandemic is caused by the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, which is closely related to other viruses associated with bats (Harapan et al., Citation2020). Because of the emerging nature of COVID-19, there are currently no research studies that examine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on public attitudes toward bats and bat management.
Keywords
Bats, Public opinion, Wildlife conservation, Human-animal relationships, COVID-19 (Disease)
Document Type
Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1080/10871209.2020.1799267
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Sasse, D. Blake and Gramza, Ashley R., "Influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on public attitudes toward bats in Arkansas and implications for bat management" (2020). KIP Articles. 8503.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/kip_articles/8503
