Knowledge, Perception, and Practices of Wildlife Conservation and Biodiversity Management in Bangladesh.

Human activities significantly influence the changes in wildlife habitats and biodiversity, highlighting the necessity to enhance public knowledge, perceptions, and practices (KPP) to mitigate their consequences. Previous research suggests that many people in Bangladesh do not consider wildlife and biodiversity conservation a crucial issue. However, enhancing their KPP could be essential in developing effective and sustainable conservation efforts in Bangladesh. So, the current study aimed to evaluate the public's KPP of wildlife conservation and biodiversity management in Bangladesh. A total of 3060 individuals' data were collected from various sociodemographic backgrounds using a structured questionnaire followed by statistical analyses including Pearson's chi-square, Spearman's correlation, and logistic regression analysis, which were performed to assess the correlations and trends among variables using STATA and SPSS. The results revealed a significant heterogeneity in KPP across different sociodemographic groups. Importantly, the younger respondents (ages 21-30) indicated a high level of KPP, and respondents without formal education and belonging to older ages demonstrated markedly low levels of KPP. In the country's divisional levels, respondents from Khulna and Rangpur revealed the highest and lowest KPP levels, respectively. Our study also revealed that students represented the major occupational demographic and displayed moderate levels of KPP. Notably, respondents highlighted the decline or absence of several wild animal species, including black bears, deer, vultures, wild cats, hanuman monkeys, and rhesus monkeys, from their local areas over the past decades. Public opinion on wildlife protection revealed 78.6% and 73.4% disapproving of hunting rejection and wildlife trading, respectively. Nonetheless, a lack of knowledge remained, as 16.89% of respondents were unaware of measures to alleviate human-wildlife conflict. The correlation analysis indicated a favorable association among KPP components, especially between knowledge and perception (correlation coefficient = 0.438), underscoring the essential influence of awareness on conservation actions. This study offers critical insights for developing interventions to enhance KPP among local communities and stakeholders, hence promoting sustainable wildlife conservation and biodiversity management in Bangladesh. Taken together, the findings provide baseline data for safeguarding biodiversity and fostering long-term wildlife sustainability in Bangladesh.