109
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2021
M. T. Abdullah et al. (eds.), Resource Use and Sustainability of Orang Asli,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64961-6_9
The Ethnozoology, Wildlife Utilisation
and Hunting Practices of the Semoq Beri
Tribe in Pahang
Muhammad Abu Bakar Abdul-Latiff, Mohd Ayub Afiqah, Fatin Zahari,
Nursyuhada Othman, Hidayah Haris, Mohd Faudzir Najmuddin,
and Badrul Munir Md-Zain
Abstract The Semoq Beri tribe in Pahang is one of the sub-groups of the Senoi
Orang Asli in Peninsular Malaysia. They are largely dependent on natural resources,
especially wildlife, for their livelihood. However, no documentation has been made
regarding their interactions with wildlife, such as hunting practices, and wildlife
consumption and utilisation. In this paper, we provide an ethnozoological study on
their cultural knowledge of wildlife utilisation by using a questionnaire and interviews as our instruments. We found that the Semoq Beri people can be categorised
into five types of lifestyle, from totally nomadic to modern citizens, which are based
on the types of their houses, hunting skills, food sources, income sources, and
access to education. A total of 68 wildlife species, consisting of mammals, birds,
reptiles, and insects, consumed by this community were documented. Their hunting
tools and the uses of these tools were also documented. Due to their abundance,
mammals are most frequently consumed by this community. Generally, we can conclude that the hunting lifestyle of the Semoq Beri people in Pahang is sustainable as
they largely hunt for their own consumption, and not to participate in the trading of
wildlife. However, we are concerned about the numerous endangered and threatened wildlife species being consumed by them. It is also apparent that their hunting
M. A. B. Abdul-Latiff (*) · F. Zahari · N. Othman · H. Haris · M. F. Najmuddin
Centre of Research for Sustainable Uses of Natural Resources, Faculty of Applied Sciences
and Technology, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Muar, Johor, Malaysia
e-mail: latiff@uthm.edu.my
M. A. Afiqah
Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia,
Muar, Johor, Malaysia
B. M. Md-Zain
Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology,
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2021
M. T. Abdullah et al. (eds.), Resource Use and Sustainability of Orang Asli,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64961-6_9
The Ethnozoology, Wildlife Utilisation
and Hunting Practices of the Semoq Beri
Tribe in Pahang
Muhammad Abu Bakar Abdul-Latiff, Mohd Ayub Afiqah, Fatin Zahari,
Nursyuhada Othman, Hidayah Haris, Mohd Faudzir Najmuddin,
and Badrul Munir Md-Zain
Abstract The Semoq Beri tribe in Pahang is one of the sub-groups of the Senoi
Orang Asli in Peninsular Malaysia. They are largely dependent on natural resources,
especially wildlife, for their livelihood. However, no documentation has been made
regarding their interactions with wildlife, such as hunting practices, and wildlife
consumption and utilisation. In this paper, we provide an ethnozoological study on
their cultural knowledge of wildlife utilisation by using a questionnaire and interviews as our instruments. We found that the Semoq Beri people can be categorised
into five types of lifestyle, from totally nomadic to modern citizens, which are based
on the types of their houses, hunting skills, food sources, income sources, and
access to education. A total of 68 wildlife species, consisting of mammals, birds,
reptiles, and insects, consumed by this community were documented. Their hunting
tools and the uses of these tools were also documented. Due to their abundance,
mammals are most frequently consumed by this community. Generally, we can conclude that the hunting lifestyle of the Semoq Beri people in Pahang is sustainable as
they largely hunt for their own consumption, and not to participate in the trading of
wildlife. However, we are concerned about the numerous endangered and threatened wildlife species being consumed by them. It is also apparent that their hunting
M. A. B. Abdul-Latiff (*) · F. Zahari · N. Othman · H. Haris · M. F. Najmuddin
Centre of Research for Sustainable Uses of Natural Resources, Faculty of Applied Sciences
and Technology, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Muar, Johor, Malaysia
e-mail: latiff@uthm.edu.my
M. A. Afiqah
Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia,
Muar, Johor, Malaysia
B. M. Md-Zain
Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology,
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia