Rats: if you can’t beat them eat them! (Tricks of the trade observed among the Adi and other North-East Indian tribals)

Abstract

BackgroundSince outside the tribal areas of North-East India it is not widely known, neither in the world nor in India itself, that rats are considered a delicious food item, this was one of several reasons why we decided to present this ethnographic account of rat procurement and preparation (together with some additional comments on the cultural role that rats have especially amongst members of the Adi tribe). Consumption of rats by humans as a biological control method far superior to the use of rodenticide poisoning and rat consumption as a way to reduce hunting pressure on rare wild animals were further considerations to publish this account.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with male and female members of eight tribal communities in Arunachal Pradesh (North-East India) on the uses of rats as food and as cultural objects. The construction of rat traps as well as the preparation of rat dishes were observed and recorded photographically.ResultsNumerous species of small rodents, collectively called “rats” by the locals of North-East Indian tribes and comprising the species Rattus rattus Linnaeus, R. nitidus Hodgson, R. burrus Miller, R. tanezumi Temminck as well as Bandicota bengalensis Gray and Hardwicke, B. indica Bechstein, and Mus musculus Linnaeus, are regularly trapped and consumed in roasted, cooked or smoked form. In this well-illustrated report the kinds of devices used to catch these animals are described and information is provided on how to prepare rats for human consumption. The role that rats as food and gift-exchange items play in the context of local culture is explained and the locals’ most highly appreciated meat dish, known as bule-bulak oying and consisting of boiled rat’s tail, legs and inner organs, is introduced.ConclusionGiven the need to meet the world’s future food demands and the environmental consequences of an expanding livestock production with regard to global warming, water availability, deforestation, soil erosion etc., rats as a food item, as our example shows, should not be overlooked. Using rats as food reduces hunting pressures on other wild and often already rare animals. It is a far superior method to control rat populations than poisoning the rodents and the artisanal construction of rat traps by local menfolk helps maintaining traditional skills and knowledge.

Managing for cultural harvest of a valued introduced species, the Pacific rat (

“…kerer% u, Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae, Lyver et al 2009). Body fat is often a seasonal resource; the Adi people of north-east India similarly prefer to harvest rodents (Rattus spp., Bandicota spp., and Mus musculus) in winter (Meyer-Rochow et al 2015). In autumn and winter, the proportion of large adult kiore in the population increases as reproduction ceases and juveniles and subadults develop, as observed on Kure Atoll, Hawaii (288N c.f.…”

Towards More Sustainable Meat Products: Extenders as a Way of Reducing Meat Content

“…An alternative to conventional meat production is the use of more sustainable species like rats or other pest rodents [108,109]. Although rats are a regular staple in some Asian regions, the mere suggestion of its consumption in Western countries generates a big consumer rejection.…”

Tangsa and Wancho of North-East India Use Animals not only as Food and Medicine but also as Additional Cultural Attributes

“…The emphasis on maintaining their rituals and customs, their beliefs, myths, etc., could be a guarantor for the tribals' protection of various species, working against needless animal killings. In this context, traps constructed by using materials like bamboo, tree branches, leaves, and stones as described in [31,32] are far superior to the indiscriminate use of firearms in order to obtain terrestrial species or the use of fine nets of polyamide fibres like nylon to snare aquatic or aerial organisms. However, traditional beliefs can also be helpful to protect certain species.…”