Are sacred caves still safe havens for the endemic bats of Madagascar

摘要: Despite conservation discourses in Madagascar increasingly emphasizing the role of customary institutions for wildlife management, we know relatively little about their effectiveness. Here, used semi-structured interviews with 54 adults eight villages to investigate whether sacred caves and taboos offer benefits cave-dwelling bats around Tsimanampetsotsa National Park, south-west Madagascar. Although some were described as sites spiritual significance local communities, most interviewees (c. 76%) did not recognize present-day status. Similarly, only 22% recognized inhibiting bat hunting consumption. Legal protection through protected areas was often more widely acknowledged than regulations, although up 30% reported consumption within communities. Guano extraction tolerated exchange economic compensation. This may benefit by creating incentives protection, is performed destructive exploitative practices In view these results our study questions extent which sites, These support previous studies documenting erosion Madagascar, including loss values underpinning sites. Given that many Malagasy are species depend on it important obtain a better understanding complex interactions between practices, sustaining diversity.