Keywords :
Reinventing the Image; King Cobra; Ophiophagus hannah
บทคัดย่อ :
Locally supported flagship species can serve as a rallying point for conservation activities. Reptiles, particularly snakes, are often viewed more negatively than other taxa, and are generally ignored for flagship consideration. Despite the fear snakes inspire, they may prove effi cient flagships for conservation education as they are commonly found in human-dominated landscapes. The king cobra Ophiophagus hannah, the largest venomous snake in the world, is a fl agship species candidate in Thailand due to its high profile, large home range, and its
Vulnerable status on the IUCN Red List. Our work with Thai student groups found that the king cobra is the most feared snake, but hospital records for the area contained no king cobra hospitalisations. These results showcase the major gap between perception and reality, and the demand for educational outreach to reinvent the image of the king cobra. While radio-tracking king cobras in disturbed areas of Sakaerat Biosphere Reserve in northeastern Thailand, we have undertaken in situ conservation education, which has successfully changed how both king cobras and other venomous snake species are perceived by local communities. Many villagers have shifted from killing snakes to using our removal programme, which has led to the rescue of seven king cobras. Additionally, we have taught over 5,000 students from 58 different schools about king cobra ecology and conservation. King cobras show potential to anchor a conservation action plan that preserves intact areas and forest fragments within human-dominated landscapes by harnessing the support of local communities and students.
เอกสารอ้างอิง :
Silva, I., Strine, C., Crane, M., & Artchawakom, T , 2015 Reinventing the image of the king cobra Ophiophagus hannah as a flagship species for conservation education in rural Thailand. Cambodian Journal of Natural History 2015 (1) 5-97
