Summary
Key takeaway: Religious beliefs and practices may have some potential to influence people’s attitude towards wildlife and conservation.
Highlights: A study into how a person’s religion (Buddhism or Islam) shapes on their attitudes toward carnivores such as snow leopards and wolves showed that the effect was statistically nonsignificant, and was tempered by gender, education, and awareness of wildlife laws. However, the extent to which a person practiced their religion had a positive correlation with pro-carnivore attitudes in the case of Buddhist, but not in Muslim communities.
Why it matters: These findings indicate that it may be useful to integrate locally relevant religious philosophies into conservation practice. However, the emphasis of conservation messaging should vary, stressing environmental stewardship in the case of Islam, and human–wildlife interdependence in the case of Buddhism.
Title: The Relationship Between Religion and Attitudes Toward Large Carnivores in Northern India
Publication: Human Dimensions of Wildlife