Keywords

Introduction

Ethnozoology refers to the study of the relationship between humans and animals in their environment. It highly reflects the importance of animals in the life of man (Alves 2012). Historically, various animals have been utilised for many purposes, and have provided significant support to humans in terms of livelihood. For instance, wildlife products that are readily available, such as ivory, bones, antlers and feathers, have been used by humans as tools and ornaments since prehistoric times (Pederson 2004).

In Peninsular Malaysia, the forest-dependent community belongs to one of the minority groups, which are the indigenous people. The indigenous people (or Orang Asli in Malay) are the earliest inhabitants of Peninsular Malaysia. Some of the sub-tribes have lived in Peninsular Malaysia for at least 25,000 years (Nicholas 2000), and they have been called the “first people” or “original people”. The three major groups of the Orang Asli are the Senoi, Negrito and Proto Malay, and they are made up of 18 sub-ethnic groups (Carey 1976). Each sub-tribe has a distinctive culture , belief, language, tradition and lifestyle. The Negrito consists of the Kintak, Kensiu, Jahai, Medrik, Batek and Lanoh, while the Senoi consists of the Semai, Temiar, Jah Hut, Mah Beri, Che wong and Semoq Beri. The Temuan, Jakun, Semelai, Orang Seletar, Orang Kuala and Orang Kanaq, meanwhile, are Proto Malays.

Today, many Orang Asli communities have been resettled in villages outside of forests. Traditionally, the Orang Asli lived in and around forests in bamboo and rattan huts. They live a nomadic and semi-nomadic life, acquiring various resources in and around their surrounding forests to survive (Kuchikura 1986). Their high dependency on forest resources and products has been widely studied (Ramle et al. 2014), particularly among the Batek communities (Tuck-Po 1998). It appears that poverty is one likely reason for this high dependency. According to a report from the Statistics Department (2010), 1.4% of indigenous people nationwide were classified as poor. In Pahang, 35.2% of the Orang Asli were classified as hardcore poor.

Only a few studies have documented the use of animals by the Orang Asli in Peninsular Malaysia. At least 12 species are known to be utilised by the Orang Asli for various purposes (Yahaya 2015; Azliza et al. 2012, Howell et al. 2010). In Sarawak, however, up to 52 species of animals have been utilised by the indigenous people for medicinal purposes (Mohd Azlan and Muhammad Faisal 2006). Thus, this survey aims to compile a list of wildlife utilised by the Orang Asli community living near Tasik Kenyir (the largest man-made lake in southeast Asia) in Terengganu. The uses of the wildlife will also be discussed.

Methods

Background of Study Area

The survey was conducted at Kampung Sungai Berua (5° 4′ 49.8” N 102° 53′ 2.76″ E), an Orang Asli village in Kenyir, Hulu Terengganu, Terengganu (Fig. 1). The majority of the Orang Asli in the village were from the Semoq Beri sub-tribe of the Senoi. The estimated population of the village was 533 people, comprising 104 families (JAKOA 2015). Kampung Sungai Berua had undergone major developments resulting from the construction of two new roads. One of the roads connected Kampung Tapah to Tasik Kenyir via Kampung Sungai Berua, while the other was from Kuala Berang to Gua Musang in the neighbouring state of Kelantan. The Orang Asli village is located just by the side of the road from Kampung Tapah to Tasik Kenyir, making the village easily accessible. Therefore, there was frequent interaction between the villagers and outsiders, such as government officials, middlemen and local traders.

Fig. 1
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Map showing the location of Kampung Sungai Berua in Kenyir, Hulu Terengganu, Terengganu

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Data Collection

Data was collected during a seven-month period (August 2015 to February 2016). An official approval for the study was obtained from the Orang Asli Development Department (JAKOA). Next, permission was obtained from the village head, or Tok Batin, to interview the villagers. Primary and secondary data were both collected. The secondary data were obtained from various resources, including books, journals and documented reports. The collection of primary data involved field surveys, in-depth interviews and participatory observations. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with hunters and traditional medicine practitioners in the village on information of their hunted wildlife. The animals were also identified with the aid of pictures that were shown to the villagers. Pictures of available hunted animals were also photographed for in-situ identification purposes, according to the field guide of mammals (Francis 2008), reptiles (Indraneil 2010) and birds (Robson 2000). Besides that, other related data, such as the purpose of utilisation , method of catching and trading activities were also recorded.

Results and Discussion

In this survey, a total of 39 species from 22 wildlife families were recorded to have been utilised by the Orang Asli in Kampung Sungai Berua for the past 12 months (Table 1). The animals were categorised according to taxonomic order. The most utilised animals were mammals with 20 species, followed by reptiles (10 species) and birds (nine species). Of the total, 65% and 35% were listed as protected (P) and totally protected species (TP), respectively, under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010. Four species of critically endangered animals (the river terrapin, red-eared slider, helmeted hornbill and Sunda pangolin) were found to have been utilised. One species categorised as an endangered — the spiny hill turtle — was also recorded. Six species of vulnerable animals were also hunted, which were the Malayan box turtle, black marsh turtle, Asian brown turtle, straw-headed bulbul, southern pig-tailed macaque and Sambar deer.

Table 1 A list of wildlife utilised by the Orang Asli in Kenyir, Terengganu
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The Orang Asli used several methods to hunt wildlife, with blowpipes , snares, traps and spearguns. They mostly tracked the animal by their footprints. The Orang Asli were known for their traditional survival knowledge and familiarity with the forest terrain, and they possessed specific strategies in hunting wildlife (Table 2).

Table 2 List of tools and methods used by the Orang Asli to hunt for wildlife
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The survey revealed that hunted wildlife was for household consumption, medicinal purposes, as a source of income or kept as pets. Most animals were utilised for household consumption (Fig. 2). Based on the interviews, the three top animals considered as delicacies among the Orang Asli were porcupines, turtles and squirrels.

Fig. 2
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The utilisation of hunted animals by the Semoq Beri sub-tribe in Kampung Sungai Berua, Hulu Terengganu

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Economic and commercial activities also occurred between the Orang Asli and middlemen. Outsiders were no strangers to the Orang Asli as their trading relationship had long existed since the fifteenth century (Gianno & Bayr, 2009). High demand in the wildlife trade also drove the Orang Asli to become excellent hunters. Some of the prized animals caught could fetch a good price and significantly contribute to their wellbeing. Based on interviews with a few key informants, they get paid by middlemen based on the prices shown in Table 3.

Table 3 The prices of animals paid by middlemen to Semoq Beri hunters in Kampung Sungai Berua, Hulu Terengganu
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This study identified eight species of animals used by the Orang Asli as traditional medicine (Table 4). Knowledge on how to use the animals for medicinal purposes was mainly held by traditional practitioners and elders. In this survey, three traditional practitioners were interviewed.

Table 4 List of animals used for medicine
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Based on our findings, it could be noted that wildlife hunting remained an important subsistence for the Orang Asli and it played an important role in many aspects of their life (Howell et al. 2010). Therefore, the survival of wildlife species should also be taken into consideration to maintain their heritage and existence. Conservation efforts were needed to maintain wildlife populations and its habitat so that the livelihood of the Orang Asli would not be compromised. As addressed by Benneth, by considering resource sustainability, the balance between short-term economic needs and long-term developmental and conservation needs could be evaluated.

Conclusion

This study has provided information on the wildlife utilised by the Orang Asli in Kampung Sungai Berua in Hulu Terengganu, Terengganu. Several wildlife species were identified as important to the Orang Asli for food, medicine, source of income and as pets. The Orang Asli had great traditional knowledge regarding the flora and fauna within the forests. The knowledge is practiced until now, and it has become their “bible” to ensure their livelihood and maintain their identity. The Orang Asli communities are hunter-gatherers and collectors of many types of forest resources. In the richness of the tropical forests with high biodiversity, the relationship between the wildlife and Orang Asli should be explored, as the social and economic well-being of the Orang Asli highly depends on good resource management. In addition, the sustainable management of the wildlife used by the Orang Asli must be considered. Therefore, future research should address the factors and resolve issues affecting wildlife utilisation by the Orang Asli.