Abstract

HUMAN DIMENSIONS OF WILDLIFE 2021, VOL. 26, NO. 1, 90–93 https://doi.org/10.1080/10871209.2020.1799267 Influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on public attitudes toward bats in Arkansas and implications for bat management a b D. Blake Sasse and Ashley R. Gramza a b Wildlife Management Division, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Mayflower, Arkansas, USA; Research, Evaluation and Compliance Division, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA Despite the ecosystem services that bats provide, they are often feared by the public due to their association with vampire lore and role as vectors of rabies and other zoonotic diseases (Tuttle, 2013). The negative public risk perceptions of and attitudes toward bats has challenged bat conservation in the U.S. (Frick et al., 2019). Such views have led to mass- killing events that have contributed to the need for federal protection of species such as the gray bat (Myotis grisescens) (O’Shea et al., 2016; Tuttle, 2013). Conservation and educational efforts appear to have resulted in more positive attitudes toward bats in recent years (George et al., 2016; Sexton & Stewart, 2007); however, negative media messaging surrounding the connection between bats and emerging infectious diseases has the potential to reverse these gains (Lopez-Baucells et al., 2018;