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Table 6 Responses of Chitwan National Park buffer zone people to attitude test questions (n = 38) about snakes and their conservation

From: Public perceptions of snakes and snakebite management: implications for conservation and human health in southern Nepal

SN

a. Responses to positive attitude test questions (n = 15); note 1: number of respondents with unknown reply to like or dislike of snakes were 4 (3 %), worship of snakes 1 (1 %), respond snakes that they encountered wherever and whenever 4 (3 %), friendly association between snakes and farmers 21 (14 %), need of conservation of all snakes 41 (27 %), all surrounding snakes should be killed 6 (4 %), and only venomous snakes should be killed were 4 (3 %).

Respondents

N

%

1

Yes, I like snakes

82

55

2

No, I do not fear snakes

21

14

3

Yes, I ignore whatever snakes I observe in the crop-field while working

79

53

4

Yes, I ignore whatever snakes I observe on the path while walking

117

78

5

Yes, I ignore whatever snakes I observe in premises of house or barn

55

37

6

Yes, I ignore whatever snakes I observe indoors

12

8

7

Yes, I rescue whatever snakes I observe indoors

39

26

8

Yes, I worship snakes

126

84

9

No, I do not prefer to kill whatever snakes I encounter anywhere

115

77

10

No, I do not eat snake meat

148

99

11

No, my neighbours do not eat snake-meat

139

93

12

No, my neighbours do not kill snakes even for medicinal purposes

129

86

13

Yes, all snakes around us should be conserved

99

66

14

Yes, I consider snakes as friends of farmers

92

61

15

Yes, I think snakes need to be conserved

122

81

 

b. Responses to negative attitude test questions (n = 14); note 2: number of respondents having item non-responses for killing snakes wherever and whenever that they encounter were 2 (1 %), all surrounding snakes should be killed 77 (51 %) and only venomous snakes should be killed were 39 (26 %).

1

No, I do not like snakes

64

43

2

Yes, I fear snakes

129

86

3

Yes, I kill whatever snakes I observe in crop-field while working

10

7

4

Yes, I call others to kill whatever snakes I observe in crop field while working

12

8

5

Yes, I kill whatever snakes I observe on the path while walking

0

0

6

Yes, I call others to kill whatever snakes I observe on the path while walking

6

4

7

Yes, I prefer to kill whatever snakes I encounter anywhere

29

19

8

Yes, I eat snake meat

2

1

9

Yes, my neighbours eat snake meat

7

5

10

Yes, my neighbours kill snakes for medicinal purposes

14

9

11

Yes, all snakes around us should be killed

2

1

12

Yes, only venomous snakes around us should be killed

74

49

13

No, I do not consider snakes as friends of farmers

37

25

14

No, I do not think snakes need to be conserved

18

12

 

c. Responses to ambivalent attitude test questions (n = 9) (i.e. ‘Yes’ responses to two or more questions that signify ambivalence)

1

I like snakes in general/ I fear snakes in general

62

41

2

I fear snake/ I ignore snakes observed at premises of house and indoors

47

31

3

I worship snakes/ I kill or call others to kill snakes while I observed them in the crop field while working or on the path while walking

22

15

4

I worship snakes/ I prefer to kill whatever snakes I encounter anywhere

25

17

5

I like snakes in general/ I kill whatever snakes I encounter anywhere

9

6

6

I prefer to kill snakes/ all snakes should be conserved

7

5

7

All snakes should be killed/ only all venomous snakes should be killed/ all snakes should be conserved/ I think snakes should be conserved

52

35

8

I prefer to kill whatever snakes I encounter anywhere/ I consider snakes as farmers’ friends

15

10

9

I kill or call others to kill snakes I observe in the crop fields/ I consider snakes as farmers’ friends

14

9

  1. Abbreviation and symbol: N number of respondents, % percent of respondents