Anthropomorphic and factual approaches in Komodo dragon conservation awareness program for elementary school students: Initial study

摘要

Increasing wildlife awareness is a commonly used approach in community conservations programs. However, in Indonesia, this approach has rarely been quantitatively evaluated for its effectiveness. In North Flores, we carried out a short Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) conservation awareness program for elementary school students. The program used a mixed communication approach combining an anthropomorphic storybook and factual information about Komodo behavior delivered through a presentation and a video. The results from this initial study showed that the program had improved students' knowledge of Komodo dragon biology and conservation efforts.