Conservation implications of wildlife utilization by indigenous communities in the southern Western Ghats of India

Kanagavel, Arun; Parvathy, S.; Nameer, P. O.; Raghavan, Rajeev

doi:10.1016/j.japb.2016.04.003

Cited by 15 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…While imperfect, we believe that incentive-driven policies are an upgrade on existing international agreements on the wildlife trade as they may provide source nations/territories with adequate resources for navigating the cultural complexities underlying wildlife harvesting. For example, economic incentives can be used to promote indigenous practices that align with conservation concerns (e.g., hunting taboos), while seeking to minimize those that are potentially harmful (e.g., ritual hunting), with better planning and management (e.g., issuance of limited ritual-hunting permits) (55).…”

Section: Policy Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

International socioeconomic inequality drives trade patterns in the global wildlife market

et al. 2021

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The wildlife trade is a major cause of species loss and a pathway for disease transmission. Socioeconomic drivers of the wildlife trade are influential at the local scale yet rarely accounted for in multinational agreements aimed at curtailing international trade in threatened species. In recent decades (1998–2018), approximately 421,000,000 threatened (i.e., CITES-listed) wild animals were traded between 226 nations/territories. The global trade network was more highly connected under conditions of greater international wealth inequality, when rich importers may have a larger economic advantage over poorer exporting nations/territories. Bilateral trade was driven primarily by socioeconomic factors at the supply end, with wealthier exporters likely to supply more animals to the global market. Our findings suggest that international policies for reducing the global wildlife trade should address inequalities between signatory states, possibly using incentive/compensation-driven programs modeled after other transnational environmental initiatives (e.g., REDD+).

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Section: Policy Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

International socioeconomic inequality drives trade patterns in the global wildlife market

et al. 2021

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“…Use of pottos is largely rural, but as for slender lorises, both urban and rural dwellers use slender loris medicine, and even rely on it, stating that western remedies only cure the symptoms, whereas loris remedies cure the disease. Kanagavel et al (2016) pointed out the challenge of changing rural South Indian communities' preferences for wild animal products. Still, understanding who the purchasers are of slender loris medicine may aid in intervention programmes (Davis et al, 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Medicine, black magic and supernatural beings: Cultural rituals as a significant threat to slender lorises in India

et al. 2022

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1. Trade of wildlife for use in traditional medicines, rituals, magical spells and cultural practices occurs globally and has been studied mostly in Africa and Asia.2. The grey slender loris Loris lydekkerianus is used for both medicinal and ritual purposes, but little information is available on how the user is meant to extract their medicinal properties, or the potential impact these practices have on the species' populations. From 2014-2021, we used open-ended interviews with 293 informants in three slender loris range states in Southern India to collect qualitative information on people's beliefs regarding the use of slender lorises in traditional medicine, black magic rituals and other cultural practices. To understand this further, we analysed data on 139 live slender loris rescues from three rescue and rehabilitation centres and one government organization in Bengaluru, India collected over an 18-year period. 4. We found that 116/139 live individuals had been involved in black magic rituals, including piercing, or burning the body and the eyes. These ritual practices occurred more often to female slender lorises and during the new moon. Data from 293 interviews revealed that astrologers regularly use live lorises for fortune-telling or for warding off evil. Slender loris body parts are used to make traditional folk medicine, develop black magic potions that bring people harm, hypnotize people or to thwart evil. 5. Habitat loss and anthropogenic pressures, coupled with the existing slender loris trade for cultural practices, are a cause for grave concern. Numerous deeprooted superstitious beliefs and rituals continue to thrive in modern India, and this is potentially one of the major threats to India's already imperilled slender loris population. More research into the prevalence of loris use for black magic is needed to assess the impact on species sustainability.

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“…Such plantations are also sites from where new anurans like Raorchestes uthamani, Micrixalus adonis, and Beddomixalus bijui have been described (Zachariah et al 2011;Abraham et al 2013;Biju et al 2014 4. The items highlighted with the green line are prey specific to Rhacophorus pseudomalabaricus, the rest being Duttaphrynus melanostictus resulted in tolerance even during high economic losses (Kanagavel et al , 2016Jasmine et al 2015). Since cardamom plantations are important refuges for amphibians, targeting the existent negative attitudes in these agroforests is critical if amphibian conservation is to have an impact outside the protected area network.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do frogs really eat cardamom? Understanding the myth of crop damage by amphibians in the Western Ghats, India

Kanagavel¹,

Parvathy²,

Nirmal³

et al. 2017

Ambio

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In the Western Ghats of India, amphibians are culled at cardamom plantations since they are perceived to consume cardamom. To better understand the relationship between amphibians and cardamom, a study was undertaken at these plantations, which harbor numerous threatened and range-restricted amphibians. We undertook questionnaire surveys with 298 respondents at 148 plantations across southern India. Time-activity budget and diet analysis surveys were undertaken to determine whether amphibians really consumed cardamom. The conception that amphibians eat cardamom was found to be widespread especially among small-sized plantations, leading to negative perceptions and a lack of interest in amphibian conservation. The plantation community perceives a substantial economic loss due to amphibians, even though this is non-existent as revealed by our field surveys. These perceptions would lead to a continued intolerance of amphibian presence in plantations. A suitable outreach initiative re-affirming facts and spreading awareness on the positive role of amphibians would need to be conducted to negate this age-old myth.

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Conservation implications of wildlife utilization by indigenous communities in the southern Western Ghats of India

Cited by 15 publications

References 28 publications

International socioeconomic inequality drives trade patterns in the global wildlife market

International socioeconomic inequality drives trade patterns in the global wildlife market

Medicine, black magic and supernatural beings: Cultural rituals as a significant threat to slender lorises in India

Do frogs really eat cardamom? Understanding the myth of crop damage by amphibians in the Western Ghats, India

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