Local farmers’ attitudes towards artificial wildlife bridges in a fragmented agroforestry environment

Abstract

Fragmentation of tropical forests has severe consequences for global biodiversity. The island of Java, Indonesia has a long history of deforestation and outside the protected area system, the island contains a patchwork of small forest fragments among expanding agricultural land, human settlements, and infrastructure. The arboreal Javan slow loris’ (Nycticebus javanicus) remaining habitat largely occurs in these anthropogenic landscapes. Arboreal canopy bridges have proven to be a successful conservation intervention for Javan slow lorises but must be built on the private land of farmers. Here, we describe the process of collaborating with local farmers to construct and maintain canopy bridges over their farms to aid in connecting habitat for Javan slow lorises. We held non-structured conversations with ten farmers to understand their perceptions of the bridges. We found an overall positive attitude towards slow lorises, as well as acknowledgement of the economic importance of the bridges. Farmers also recommended improvements, including ensuring equity of the bridges in the community and increased financial commitment from the conservation project. There is growing appreciation amongst conservationists that trust and collaboration with local communities are essential for carrying out successful initiatives. We recommend regular discussions with community members in similar interventions to ensure the long-term trust and involvement of local people.