Conhecimento popular, ações educativas e suas implicações para a conservação dos bugios-ruivos, Alouatta guariba clamitans, em Santa Maria, sul do Brasil

Abstract

The Southern Brown Howler Monkey (Alouatta guariba clamitans) is a primate that inhabits the Atlantic Forest. It is threatened with extinction, mainly from habitat destruction and outbreaks of yellow fever in recent decades. In the municipality of Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, this species primarily occupies forest remnants in rural areas but in re- cent years has been seen also in suburban neighborhoods. The local residents’ perceptions and attitudes toward howler monkeys can be decisive for the species’ persistence in these periurban areas. In this study we evaluated the knowledge, perceptions and attitudes of study subjects relating to howler monkeys, as well as the impact of certain educational activities. We used interviews with neighborhood residents, lectures, play activities, and questionnaires at schools. The neighborhood residents felt it important to have howler monkeys in their neighborhoods, but also expressed con- cerns about their supposed aggressiveness and transmission of yellow fever. The students showed good knowledge of ecological aspects of howler monkeys but were unfamiliar with the yellow-fever transmission cycle. The educational activities improved their knowledge. People’s positive opinions of howler monkeys, the lack of conflict reports, and the low frequency of both incorrect knowledge and inappropriate attitudes indicate a favorable outlook for the conservation of brown howler monkeys in this municipality.