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Livestock Farmers Engage in Ecotourism as a Result of Beliefs and Attitudes Toward Wildlife on Communal Lands in Namibia

ABSTRACT An individual’s decision to support conservation efforts can be affected by personal attitudes. We interviewed 100 indigenous livestock farmers on Ehirovipuka and ≠Khoadi //Hôas communal conservancies in Namibia. As conservancy support groups work with farmers, there is a need to understand what influences farmer decisions to engage in ecotourism activities for livelihood. We evaluated cognitive characteristics of farmers and their attitudes toward 10 species of wildlife. Farmers had negative attitudes toward predators, more positive attitudes toward meat-producing species and a hornbill (Tockus sp.), and moderate attitudes toward African elephant (Loxodonta africana) and black rhino (Diceros bicornis), which can cause damage but also attract tourists. We show support for a partial mediation model in which cognitive characteristics of farmers predicted attitudes toward predators and damage animals. The attitudes toward these species, in turn, predicted participation in the ecotourism industry.