Assessing and Enhancing Community Perception and Knowledge About the Endemic Rameshwaram Ornamental Tarantula Through Conservation Education

Abstract

Conservation efforts are generally hindered by public misconceptions and negative perceptions toward spiders, especially for rare and endemic species. The critically endangered arboreal tarantula Poecilotheria hanumavilasumica, which is native to Rameswaram Island in India, is the focus of this study, which evaluates the effectiveness of conservation awareness initiatives conducted on the Island. Negative perceptions of the species usually arise from local people's fear, misconceptions, and misunderstandings of the facts. To address existing knowledge gaps and misconceptions, structured conservation awareness programmes were conducted across local communities, schools, and colleges at Rameswaram Island using both direct and indirect outreach methods. Through awareness-raising initiatives, 2,871 participants were directly reached, with additional indirect outreach achieved through the dissemination of educational materials and various community knowledge-sharing activities. To measure the efficacy of the awareness programmes, 402 school students aged 11–14 years who participated in a pre- and post-assessment survey were selected. The results showed a significant improvement in participants’ knowledge after the awareness interventions, with mean scores increasing from 7.25 (SD = 2.02) in the pre-test to 10.64 (SD = 2.52) in the post-test. Statistical analysis revealed a significant difference between pre- and post-assessment scores (t = 23.62, df = 401, p < 0.001), indicating a strong positive impact of the educational programmes. These results demonstrate how effectively environmental education programmes help dispel myths and foster positive perceptions of endangered species like Poecilotheria hanumavilasumica.