AUTHOR=Xu Wanyun , Xu Lingxia , Cao Yuqi , Zheng Jiaoyang , Wang Yaling , Cheng Kun , Lee Chun-Hung , Dai Huxuan , Mei Sonamtso , Zong Cheng 

TITLE=Community perspectives of flagship species: can conservation motivators mitigate human-wildlife conflict?

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ecology-and-evolution/articles/10.3389/fevo.2024.1265694

DOI=10.3389/fevo.2024.1265694

ISSN=2296-701X

ABSTRACT=<p>Public perception of endangered species is crucial for successful management of community-based conservation and sustainability of national parks. By  the method of choice experiment, our study evaluated conservation preferences and willingness to donate money for flagship and non-flagship species using a choice experiment with 409 residents living near the Lanstang river source of Sanjiangyuan National Park, China. We found that flagship species such as the Snow leopard (<italic>Pristine plateau</italic>) and White-lipped deer (<italic>Przewalskium albirostris</italic>) generated more conservation funds than non-flagship species. However, not all flagship species were accepted. Respondents disliked Tibetan brown bears (<italic>Ursus arctos pruinosus</italic>) due to direct human-wildlife conflicts such as bodily injury and property damage. Heterogeneity of preference was influenced by household income, religious beliefs, ethnicity, culture, and conservation awareness. Results can be used to establish a local community-participative framework by combining conservation motivations that alleviate human-wildlife conflict.</p>