Title
Public attitude towards the water monitor lizard (Varanus salvator) in a peri-urban area of Narayanganj, Bangladesh
Author(s)
Akter Mou, Jeasmin; Bin Aziz, Tarique; Hossain, Md. Sakhawat; As Sadique, Abdullah; Parves, Nadim; Asaduzzaman, Md.
Published
2021
Publisher
Jagannath University Journal of Life & Earth Sciences
Abstract
Varanus salvator, potentially inhabits in the Sundarbans, some isolated parts of northeast and southeast forest, and few populations survive with potential anthropogenic threats in two peri-urban areas of Munshiganj and Narayanganj district near capital city Dhaka. This species faces severe risk of wildlife-human conflict in Bandar Upazila, Narayanganj, to share a common ecological habitat with humans. The present study focused on finding out public attitudes towards the V. salvator through a questionnaire survey among the local inhabitants living near this lizard's habitats. More than half of the interviewed participants (51%) recognized V. salvator as a reptile but wrongly stated it as a snake. While (47%) of the total participants thought the lizard was a potential threat, a large portion (60%) believed it provides critical ecological services. The majority (88%) of the participants agreed that the lizard's population has declined in the past ten years and stated habitat destruction (62%) as the primary cause for their population declination. A more significant portion (80%) of the participants agreed on urgent conservation measures for this threatened lizard, and half of them suggested relocating and initiating ex-situ conservation approaches to increase their population. A significant portion (around 42%) also believed that targeted educational outreach events and providing foods and protecting habitat would improve their survival chance in the existing areas.
Keywords
water monitor; Varanus salvator; peri-urban area; public attitude

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PUB26703