Oleps’ Traditional Beliefs of the Clouded Leopard the Top Predator of Bhutan

Abstract

The Oleps are the first human inhabitants of Bhutan and the country’s last remaining hunter-gatherers. We conducted a preliminary study into the meaning of the traditional Bhutanese saying tog-ge-teng-nang-gong; gong-ge-teng-nang-thee (Ole) and tag-ge-ta-lay-gung; gung ge-ta-lay-theb (Dzongkha). Tag in Dzongkha refers to Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris) and gung refers to clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa). The saying describes the existence of a species, which Oleps people believe is the clouded leopard, that is superior to the apex predator the tiger. The saying is further elaborated as gung-gi-ta-lay-theb (Dzongkha), which means that a skilled human hunter is superior to the clouded leopard. We used semi-structured interviews to ask 19 Oleps people to explain this traditional saying and narrate the beliefs embedded in it. Participants related the saying to their views of the clouded leopard, and we explored how these views might influence the current conservation status of clouded leopards living in the Oleps’ locality. Our interviews showed that Oleps revered and respected clouded leopards, but they also viewed them and other wild cats as harmful to livestock, and some expressed a desire to acquire clouded leopard pelts or to keep them as pets. Indigenous knowledge and beliefs are important to consider in the development of a conservation plan for clouded leopards. We recommend that Oleps’ sayings and stories be documented for posterity and that conservationists continue to engage in dialog with Oleps people to better understand the effects clouded leopards and other wild cats have on their livelihoods.