Conservation perspectives and perception of bats as reservoirs of zoonotic diseases in Ghana

Abstract

ABSTRACT Bats perform various ecological and socio-economic functions but are also associated with the transmission of zoonotic diseases. This study investigated how awareness of bats as vectors of diseases has influenced their conservation in Ghana. Data were drawn from focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and questionnaire administration from five selected Ghanaian communities. The results showed that the level of awareness of bats as vectors of zoonotic diseases was high among the respondents but this did not change people’s attitudes toward bats and what they used the bats for. Another important finding was that unsustainable harvests of bats for food and other uses was just as much a conservation threat as associating bats with zoonoses. Because of how vulnerable bats are, findings from this study suggest that the Ghana Forestry Commission should strengthen legislation against the hunting of bats, commercialization of bat bushmeat, and destruction of bats’ habitats.