Negative attitudes are associated with lethal control of rodents in an Indigenous Community from the temperate forest of Mexico

Rodents have been unwanted human commensals for millennia as they decimate
crops and spread diseases. However, rodents perform essential ecosystem
functions, which need to be known by the public to boost rodent
conservation. Furthermore, knowledge about the transmission of diseases
via ectoparasites enables safe coexistence between rodents and humans. We
aimed to unpack the knowledge, attitudes and practices of indigenous
people towards rodents and their ectoparasites. We conducted 108 in-person
interviews with farmers and foresters from the indigenous community of
Nuevo San Juan, Michoacan, Mexico. Attitudes towards rodents were divided,
with 54% of the respondents having a positive attitude and 36% having a
negative attitude. Very few respondents could name diseases associated to
rodents (44%). Most respondents agreed that rodents have the right to
live, enhancing the potential of management focused on the application of
preventive measures rather than the lethal control of rodents.