Mutiny or Clear Sailing? Examining the Role of the Asian Elephant as a Flagship Species

摘要

Flagship species are used to leverage public support for conservation. The success of a flagship is potentially determined by its popularity and ability to foster conservation intentions among a target audience. When flagships come into conflict with people, however, it is likely that conservation intentions get negatively affected. By examining peoples' exposures to the Asian elephant-a global conservation flagship-this study sought to (a) identify exposures that enable conservation intentions and (b) test whether human-elephant conflict undermines them. Survey results showed that exposure to wild elephants negatively affected intentions to conserve elephants, while specific concern for the elephant and direct involvement in conservation activities led to positive intentions. These results suggest that the effective use of the Asian elephant as a flagship may be contingent on mitigating human-elephant conflict, for which engagement with concerned local actors and initiation of participatory conservation frameworks need to be considered.