Influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on public attitudes toward bats in Arkansas and implications for bat management

摘要

Through a public input collection tool, we opportunistically discovered a relationship between COVID-19, attitudes toward bats, and support for bat management in Arkansas. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission requested public input on a proposed regulation to prohibit the killing of bats except when necessary for rabies testing. When all reasons for support or opposition are combined, 59 (11%) mentioned diseases, of which 22 (37%) specifically mentioned COVID-19. Almost all (n = 21, 96%) statements that mentioned COVID-19 also included language that indicated a negative attitude toward bats. This suggests that the connection between resident bat species and COVID-19 may be a salient belief among Arkansans. Bats already face challenges relating to public perceptions and educational efforts focused on bat conservation should emphasize that it is not known to infect bat populations in North America.