Canberra (Australia), October 28: A majority of Australians cannot identify the country's most endangered species, a study has found.
In a research published on Friday, a team from the University of South Australia (UniSA) in collaboration with Edith Cowan University (ECU) and Zoos Victoria asked zoo visitors to identify seven native species at risk of extinction.
The seven species were the Tasmanian devil, southern corroboree frog, Lord Howe Island (LHI) stick insect, orange-bellied parrot, helmeted honeyeater, eastern barred bandicoot and Leadbeater's possum.
More than 90 percent of participants failed to identify six of the seven, with the Tasmanian devil, an iconic carnivorous marsupial, the exception.
Researchers said people were more willing to support conservation efforts for animals they recognize, making the ignorance of some of Australia's most threatened species a major factor in their chances of survival.
"There are huge gaps in community knowledge regarding native Australian wildlife, with less than 8 percent of people able to correctly name six of seven endangered species when shown photographs," the report said.
"Apart from the Tasmanian devil, which 86 percent of people recognized, the level of familiarity and knowledge of our vulnerable species is limited. Misidentification is also common, particularly the eastern barred bandicoot which is often mistaken for a bilby."
According to lead researcher Elissa Pearson, a UniSA conservation psychologist, people are more likely to support conservation efforts for animals most like humans such as mammals.
The survey found the helmeted honeyeater, southern corroboree frog and LHI stick insect were the least liked among included species.
"The LHI stick insect has some exceptional qualities, such as their resilience and survival against all odds, their ability to reproduce without males, their tendency to form large social groups during the day, or even the fact that their foot pads are heart shaped. If people knew these facts the likeability factor would likely shoot up," Pearson said.
Source: Xinhua
