Interação do Sagui-de-Tufo-Branco (Callithrix Jacchus Linnaeus, 1758) e a comunidade do entorno a Área de Proteção Ambiental Morro do Urubu, Aracaju, Se, Brasil

Abstract

The intensification of urbanization has increased human–wildlife interactions, especially in areas located around Protected Areas, generating direct implications for biodiversity conservation and public health. In this context, this study aimed to understand the interaction between the white-tufted marmoset (Callithrix jacchus Linnaeus, 1758) and residents of the Porto Dantas neighborhood, in the municipality of Aracaju, Sergipe, an area located near the Morro do Urubu Environmental Protection Area, which has been experiencing pressures resulting from urban expansion. The research was characterized as a multimethods study with a quantitative and qualitative approach, structured in complementary stages. Initially, a survey of fruit trees present in the urban area was conducted, followed by an analysis of fruit attractiveness to Callithrix jacchus, considering attributes related to access, exposure, and food characteristics. Subsequently, structured were administered in order to analyze environmental perception, forms of interaction established with the species, and the population’s knowledge regarding sanitary risks associated with contact with wildlife. Quantitative data were organized and analyzed using the R statistical software through descriptive statistics and association tests, while qualitative data were treated using content analysis techniques. The results indicated a high availability of food resources in the urban environment, associated both with the presence of fruit trees and with the direct provision of food by residents, a practice that favors the permanence of marmosets in urbanized areas and influences their patterns of space use. Residents’ perception of the species was predominantly positive; however, gaps in knowledge were identified regarding sanitary risks, zoonotic disease transmission, and the impacts resulting from human–wildlife interactions. It is concluded that interactions between residents and marmosets occur mainly through direct feeding and the animals’ proximity to households, highlighting the need for management strategies and continuous Environmental Education actions aimed at mitigating socio-environmental impacts on the species and the local community.