Knowledge and Perceptions of Local People Towards the Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus Amphibious and its Conservation: Insights from Ghana

Abstract

Background and Aim: The native range of the African hippo has contracted significantly due to various anthropogenic threats such as poaching and habitat destruction, thus making the species highly prone to extinction. Protected areas can safeguard hippo populations through legal restrictions and other effective strategies. However, knowledge, perceived threats, and benefits of the species can influence local people’s attitudes towards their conservation. Yet, gaps in our understanding of what people know about hippos and their conservation persist, especially in Ghana, where their population is vulnerable, thus requiring urgent research. Methods: To improve this knowledge deficit, we employed a mixed-methods research approach to collect data from household heads in five communities in the Bui National Park (BNP) landscape for descriptive and regression-based statistical analyses. Results: Our findings revealed that respondent’s knowledge of hippos was significantly influenced by education and exposure to the species. Several respondents reported relatively stable or declining population patterns for hippos and attributed the causes to poaching and the construction of the hydropower dam in the BNP. Most respondents wanted hippo populations to increase in the future due to the potential benefits they could derive through tourism while the remaining respondents wanted their numbers to decline due to perceived conflict situations such as boat capsizing and crop damage. Conclusion: Local people’s knowledge of the hippo and its conservation is influenced by education and exposure to the species, and its population is perceived to be declining due to human activities. Implications for Conservation: Authentic and meaningful engagements among diverse stakeholders (e.g., farmers, fishermen, and park authorities) in the BNP landscape are critical to ensuring hippo conservation based on our findings. In particular, community-wide education to enhance hippo literacy, avoidance of farming along riverbank habitats, and adoption of sustainable livelihood approaches may benefit the aquatic environment, hippos, and local people.