The presentation I gave at the fantastic Human-Wildlife Conflict and coexistence is now online! A summary of the findings can be found below:
This study looked at whether a natural history film about elephants, called The Elephant Queen, could make communities living near elephants more tolerant of conflicts with them. The researchers surveyed people before and after they watched the film and used a statistical analysis to measure the effect of the film on their attitudes towards elephants. They found that younger viewers aged 16-18 gained knowledge and affection towards elephants, and felt their benefits more keenly after watching the film. Older community members also gained knowledge and saw the benefits of elephants, but felt the costs of living with them more profoundly after watching the film. A follow-up survey 90 days later showed that affection towards elephants had increased, but the other changes had reduced to insignificance. The study suggests that natural history films can be useful in inspiring young people, but changes in attitudes among adult viewers are more nuanced and may be short-lived.