Attitudes of tourists towards artificial ponds in Kuiburi national park

Abstract

A social study on the attitudes of tourists towards artificial ponds in Kuiburi national park was carried out. Questionnaires were submitted to 400 tourists, of which 350 of Thai 

nationality and 50 coming from foreign countries.

The results show that both Thai and foreign tourists have a positive attitude towards the use of artificial ponds in wildlife management.  Most of the tourists agree that the artificial ponds are built to provide water to wildlife during the dry season, which can reduce the likelihood of Human Wildlife Conflict events, due to wildlife leaving the protected area to find water sources in the surrounding agriculture areas. The number of artificial ponds currently located in the protected area is enough to provide the necessary water for wildlife; therefore, future park management activities should focus only on ponds’ cleaning and maintenance. The use of artificial ponds in Kuiburi national park can be considered an effective model of wildlife management that can be utilized in other protected areas.

Keywords: Artificial ponds, Social study, Kuiburi national park