131
hunted, namely the wild boar, sambar deer, lesser mouse-deer, pig-tailed macaque,
silvered leaf monkey, dusky leaf monkey, Malayan porcupine, brush-tailed porcupine, white-breasted waterhen, and emerald dove. The IUCN Red List provides a
comprehensive list of the conservation status of plants and animals all around the
globe. CITES, meanwhile, regulates the international trade of certain selected species, imposing certain controls, and the species covered are listed under different
appendices, depending on the level of threat and needed protection.
It is important to recognise the information regarding the wildlife species consumed by the Orang Asli and the conservation status of the species. This is because
with enough data, several alternatives may be provided to the Orang Asli to reduce
their need to hunt the wildlife species. Referring to Table 9, there are a few threatened wildlife species that are consumed by the Semoq Beri people in Pahang. Three
of the species are considered critically endangered in the IUCN Red List, including
the charismatic species, the Malayan tiger, and it is alarming. The Malayan tiger and
Sunda pangolin are also classified as totally protected species in the WCA 2010 and
belong to the Appendix I in CITES. This is because in Malaysia, the two species are
examples of wildlife species that are highly threatened by poaching due to the high
demand for their parts (Clements et al. 2010). The scales and meat of the Sunda
pangolin are in demand because of their uses in traditional Chinese medicine
(Challender et al. 2019), and this is in accordance with the practices of the Semoq
Beri people, as they use it for ward off illnesses.
Apart from that, other charismatic large mammals that are considered as endangered in the IUCN Red List but are consumed by the Semoq Beri people are the
Asian elephant and Malayan tapir. They are also categorised under Appendix I of
CITES because they are poached and traded for several reasons. Even though some
male and all female Asian elephants lack tusks, they are heavily poached, and this
is threatening their long-term survival (Choudhury et al. 2008). While the primary
threat for the Malayan tapir is deforestation, they are increasingly being hunted as a
food source (Traeholt et al. 2016). However, the frequency of the hunting of the two
species among the Semoq Beri people has decreased as it is time-consuming and
requires a lot of preparation and the participation of a large number of experienced
hunters. Furthermore, more than 10 wildlife species consumed by the Semoq Beri
people in Pahang are vulnerable, and only a few of the species are allowed to be
hunted by them, namely, the M. nemestrina and R. unicolor. According to
Simcharoen et al. (2014), the sambar deer is one of the most preferred prey species
for tigers, and it is important in the tiger diet, as well as for the conservation of
tigers. Unfortunately, this threatened species is one of the most consumed species
among the Semoq Beri people in Pahang. In addition, several other species that are
allowed to be hunted by the Orang Asli are mostly listed under the least concern group.
With the high number of threatened wildlife species being hunted by the Orang
Asli that are not included in the Sixth Schedule of Wildlife Conservation Act 2010,
certainly there is an urgent need to reevaluate how the species selection is made, and
more study is needed to know how legislations on natural resources may affect their
The Ethnozoology, Wildlife Utilisation and Hunting Practices of the Semoq Beri Tribe…
hunted, namely the wild boar, sambar deer, lesser mouse-deer, pig-tailed macaque,
silvered leaf monkey, dusky leaf monkey, Malayan porcupine, brush-tailed porcupine, white-breasted waterhen, and emerald dove. The IUCN Red List provides a
comprehensive list of the conservation status of plants and animals all around the
globe. CITES, meanwhile, regulates the international trade of certain selected species, imposing certain controls, and the species covered are listed under different
appendices, depending on the level of threat and needed protection.
It is important to recognise the information regarding the wildlife species consumed by the Orang Asli and the conservation status of the species. This is because
with enough data, several alternatives may be provided to the Orang Asli to reduce
their need to hunt the wildlife species. Referring to Table 9, there are a few threatened wildlife species that are consumed by the Semoq Beri people in Pahang. Three
of the species are considered critically endangered in the IUCN Red List, including
the charismatic species, the Malayan tiger, and it is alarming. The Malayan tiger and
Sunda pangolin are also classified as totally protected species in the WCA 2010 and
belong to the Appendix I in CITES. This is because in Malaysia, the two species are
examples of wildlife species that are highly threatened by poaching due to the high
demand for their parts (Clements et al. 2010). The scales and meat of the Sunda
pangolin are in demand because of their uses in traditional Chinese medicine
(Challender et al. 2019), and this is in accordance with the practices of the Semoq
Beri people, as they use it for ward off illnesses.
Apart from that, other charismatic large mammals that are considered as endangered in the IUCN Red List but are consumed by the Semoq Beri people are the
Asian elephant and Malayan tapir. They are also categorised under Appendix I of
CITES because they are poached and traded for several reasons. Even though some
male and all female Asian elephants lack tusks, they are heavily poached, and this
is threatening their long-term survival (Choudhury et al. 2008). While the primary
threat for the Malayan tapir is deforestation, they are increasingly being hunted as a
food source (Traeholt et al. 2016). However, the frequency of the hunting of the two
species among the Semoq Beri people has decreased as it is time-consuming and
requires a lot of preparation and the participation of a large number of experienced
hunters. Furthermore, more than 10 wildlife species consumed by the Semoq Beri
people in Pahang are vulnerable, and only a few of the species are allowed to be
hunted by them, namely, the M. nemestrina and R. unicolor. According to
Simcharoen et al. (2014), the sambar deer is one of the most preferred prey species
for tigers, and it is important in the tiger diet, as well as for the conservation of
tigers. Unfortunately, this threatened species is one of the most consumed species
among the Semoq Beri people in Pahang. In addition, several other species that are
allowed to be hunted by the Orang Asli are mostly listed under the least concern group.
With the high number of threatened wildlife species being hunted by the Orang
Asli that are not included in the Sixth Schedule of Wildlife Conservation Act 2010,
certainly there is an urgent need to reevaluate how the species selection is made, and
more study is needed to know how legislations on natural resources may affect their
The Ethnozoology, Wildlife Utilisation and Hunting Practices of the Semoq Beri Tribe…