Traditional conservation and human-primate conflict in Ujungjaya Village Community, Ujung Kulon, Banten, Indonesia

Abstract

Abstract. Permana S, Partasasmita R, Iskandar J, Rohmatullayaly EN, Iskandar BS, Malone N. 2020. Traditional conservation and human-primate conflict in Ujungjaya Village Community, Ujung Kulon, Banten, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 21: 521-529. In the past, rural Sundanese people’s interactions with wild animals, including nonhuman primates (hereafter ‘primates’), is influenced by traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) with foundations in various myths and beliefs. Today, because of environmental changes, development of a market economy, cultural change, and the enhancement of agricultural technology, the beliefs and practices associated with TEK have eroded. We aim to describe the present perceptions of primates by the Sundanese people of Ujungjaya Village, Sumur Subdistrict, Ujung Kulon, Banten Province, and demonstrate how these myths and beliefs manifest in behavior towards primates. We use qualitative methods based on an ethnobiological approach to gain insight into people’s perceptions of their natural surroundings. Our results show that the people of Ujungjaya still maintain deep perceptions that are manifested in stories, songs, poems, spells, and invocations that prohibit the killing of primates. However, on their own, these manifestations are insufficient to protect primates from harm as the penetration of market economies and the fragmentation of habitats create the conditions for increased human-primate conflict. Indeed, the people of Ujungjaya sometimes hunt and capture primates for consumption, trading, and medicinal use. As such, laws and regulations designed to promote conservation are insufficient without an understanding of the cultural and socio-economic aspects of people’s lives.

Consumer perceptions of stingrays in coastal areas of Indonesia

“…The myth that accompanies the fish will be one of the main sources of inclinations that drive purchasing choices to be more personal than thinking rationally about the sustainability of an ecosystem. In the past, the interaction of coastal communities with wildlife was influenced by traditional ecological knowledge based on various myths and beliefs (Permana et al 2020). Myth is a narrative-generated mixture of reason, collective emotion, and moral ethos; whether the narrative is based on fact or not is often of little importance (Chlup 2023).…”

Konflik Tapal Batas antara Desa Tanjung Telang dengan Kelurahan Payuputat Kecamatan Prabumulih Barat Kota Prabumulih

“…Prasangka dan kebencian, baik pribadi, politik atau ideologis yang melatarbelakanginya. Kelompok luar dapat menciptakan struktur yang saling bertentangan dan hubungan sosial yang tidak lurus (Permana, 2020). Asumsi yang mendasari Konflik karena semua aktor dalam organisasi saling melekat satu sama lain tujuan tertentu, dan aktor tersebut memiliki sarana untuk mencapai tujuan tersebut.…”

The Dialectical Primatologist

“…Local people recognise Cimahi as a makam keramat (sacred burial ground) and one of the healthiest examples of animal habitat in Ujung Kulon National Park. In the past, before many people began to make Cimahi a location of frequent pilgrimage, the local people of Ujungjaya Village believed that if either injured wild animals or sick people visited this place, they would recover because of the magical forces in this area (Permana et al 2020). Today at makam keramat Cimahi there are five graves of saints, namely: Uyut or Syaikh Santika, Syaikh Dahlan, Uyut Nuralam, Uyut Marga and Uyut Bidadari.…”

“…An elderly participant, a local farmer, provided the complete story in detail. 21 Because silvery gibbons originated from humans, they were not to be disturbed or harmed (Permana et al 2020). Myths and beliefs underpin a variety of behavioural interactions between humans and wild animals, including conflicts, taboos and forms of utilisation (e.g., Nijman & Nekaris 2015).…”