Ethnozoological use of primates in northeastern India

Abstract

Ethnozoological practices to cure various diseases have a long history. Communities that reside near the forest collect wild animals and their derivatives to prepare medicines and get relief from diseases. Northeastern India is home to many tribes with vast traditional ethnobiological knowledge, and there are many reports of zootherapeutic uses in the region. In an attempt to understand primate-based ethnozoologic use in the area a literature survey was carried out using different sources. The findings revealed that Hoolock hoolock was the most used species among the primates (48 %), followed by Macaca assamensis (20 %) and Macaca mulatta (10 %). Among the materials used, the flesh of primates was the most dominant (43 %), followed by the blood (20 %) and brain (14 %). This paper highlights the negative effects of ethno-medicinal uses of primates to draw the attention of conservationists and encourage conservation education to address the damage to primates in the name of health care. Government agencies are also requested to strengthen health care systems to discourage the killing of valuable primate species. Dimasa: Manang gda nising ning Dao-Mi jadzi nising gibin gibin glim-gasa khe ham ri yaba yawaithai phai pha bu lang ba. Hagra ni rogong ha dongyaba jadzi buthu hagra ni dao mi nising muli sandi slamhi glim gasa khe hamridu. North-East India ha gibin gibin jadzi buthuni muli sandi slamma ni ringma bangbi odehe mitsiba lai tsikhade, Dao-Mi ni bahain bugur khe bo muli sandi ne yawai ba ibu hathan ha bangbi. Magusa khe lahi muli-sandi yawaiyaba khe mitsimane mashi survey khlaiba. Survey ni yahon ha mitsikha je, magusa jadzi ni bising ha ‘hulao’ hoolock khe yawaidaothao (48%), buni yahon ha Macaca assamensis (20%) odehe Macaca mulatta (10%). Buha, magusha ni bahain khe yawaidaothao (43%), buni yahon ha bitsi (20%) odehe bikhlim (14%). Ibu lai ha magusa ni basao khe muli sandi ne yawaiba hamya ba khe phunu du odehe dao-mi khasaoyarao ode raokhiyarao khe ibu sibringmane thiladu. Government khe bo health care hamdaorimane bilahadu nabani tsikhade healthcare hamkha she nolaisarao bo dao-mi ni beher jang muli sandi slamba sai dao ma.