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there is another discipline under ethnobiology that has emerged from anthropology,
namely ethnography (Naidoo 2012). It is a study that interprets the collected data on
the beliefs, social interactions, and behaviors of small societies, which involve participation and observation over a period of time (Denzin 2011; Reeves 2008;
Berry 2011).
Waters et al. (2011) stated that humans have practiced hunting since at least
13,800 years ago. This is supported by the discovery of rock paintings that portray
the hunting practices of prehistoric people through the drawings of human figures
hunting wild animals, such as bison, horses, and deer (Alves and Souto 2011). Lim
(1900) stated that the Temiar and Lanoh tribes eat python meat to remove excess
body heat. However, the Semai people eat python to treat ailments. To eliminate
excess body heat, the Semai people in Perak instead eat bear hearts, whereas the
Semai people in Pahang eat woodworms. Some believe that pangolin meat contains
certain nutrients and has medicinal value (Lim 1900). A widespread folklore about
an elephant that died because of a pangolin is the source of their belief that a burned
scale of a pangolin can ward off elephants due to its strong odour (Yahaya 2015).
According to Azliza et al. (2012), the Temuan people use 12 animal species as traditional medicine to treat diabetes, hypertension, asthma and cold. The Orang Asli
tend to consume the meat of large mammals because of the nutrient contents and the
quantity of meat. Therefore, we can conclude that these tribes have their own reasons for consuming wildlife species, especially as a source of protein and cure for
illnesses.
Generally, in Orang Asli hunting practices, men were the ones responsible for
hunting for forest resources. Most elderly men are experts in hunting animals
because of their broad experience. The knowledge of hunting among the younger
generation is not practiced and it is proven by Kardooni et al. (2014) because the
older indigenous people possess more knowledge in hunting skills. The Orang Asli
usually capture different animals using different types of hunting tools (Bartholomew
et al. 2017). Wild junglefowl are captured using snares, whereas arboreal animals,
such as monkeys, squirrels, and birds, are captured using blowpipes. Birds are also
caught using slingshots, not just blowpipes. Pangolins are captured using spears
(Yahaya 2015). The hunting tools that are generally used are blowpipes with poisoned darts, spears, snares, slingshots and traps.
Ethnozoological Survey
We conducted a survey in a few Orang Asli Semoq Beri villages in Pahang and successfully gathered 30 respondents for interviews and questionnaires. The study was
approved by JAKOA, and the community agreed to share their cultural knowledge.
They were asked to sign the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) and Access
and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) forms. The documents were written in the Malay as it
could be easily understood by the respondents, enabling them to date and sign the
survey with the presence of one witness. We focused on male respondents, owing to
M. A. B. Abdul-Latiff et al.
there is another discipline under ethnobiology that has emerged from anthropology,
namely ethnography (Naidoo 2012). It is a study that interprets the collected data on
the beliefs, social interactions, and behaviors of small societies, which involve participation and observation over a period of time (Denzin 2011; Reeves 2008;
Berry 2011).
Waters et al. (2011) stated that humans have practiced hunting since at least
13,800 years ago. This is supported by the discovery of rock paintings that portray
the hunting practices of prehistoric people through the drawings of human figures
hunting wild animals, such as bison, horses, and deer (Alves and Souto 2011). Lim
(1900) stated that the Temiar and Lanoh tribes eat python meat to remove excess
body heat. However, the Semai people eat python to treat ailments. To eliminate
excess body heat, the Semai people in Perak instead eat bear hearts, whereas the
Semai people in Pahang eat woodworms. Some believe that pangolin meat contains
certain nutrients and has medicinal value (Lim 1900). A widespread folklore about
an elephant that died because of a pangolin is the source of their belief that a burned
scale of a pangolin can ward off elephants due to its strong odour (Yahaya 2015).
According to Azliza et al. (2012), the Temuan people use 12 animal species as traditional medicine to treat diabetes, hypertension, asthma and cold. The Orang Asli
tend to consume the meat of large mammals because of the nutrient contents and the
quantity of meat. Therefore, we can conclude that these tribes have their own reasons for consuming wildlife species, especially as a source of protein and cure for
illnesses.
Generally, in Orang Asli hunting practices, men were the ones responsible for
hunting for forest resources. Most elderly men are experts in hunting animals
because of their broad experience. The knowledge of hunting among the younger
generation is not practiced and it is proven by Kardooni et al. (2014) because the
older indigenous people possess more knowledge in hunting skills. The Orang Asli
usually capture different animals using different types of hunting tools (Bartholomew
et al. 2017). Wild junglefowl are captured using snares, whereas arboreal animals,
such as monkeys, squirrels, and birds, are captured using blowpipes. Birds are also
caught using slingshots, not just blowpipes. Pangolins are captured using spears
(Yahaya 2015). The hunting tools that are generally used are blowpipes with poisoned darts, spears, snares, slingshots and traps.
Ethnozoological Survey
We conducted a survey in a few Orang Asli Semoq Beri villages in Pahang and successfully gathered 30 respondents for interviews and questionnaires. The study was
approved by JAKOA, and the community agreed to share their cultural knowledge.
They were asked to sign the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) and Access
and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) forms. The documents were written in the Malay as it
could be easily understood by the respondents, enabling them to date and sign the
survey with the presence of one witness. We focused on male respondents, owing to
M. A. B. Abdul-Latiff et al.