Authors :
George Agri Ambukwa; Dr. Tatah Jean-Louis Banadzem
Volume/Issue :
Volume 7 - 2022, Issue 1 - January
Google Scholar :
http://bitly.ws/gu88
Scribd :
https://bit.ly/3oDn7Tm
DOI :
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6045113
Abstract :
In Africa, most forest communities for over
centuries have developed traditional norms to ensure the
sustainable management of forest and wildlife resources,
in which their livelihood highly depend upon. The study
was an attempt to investigate the relationship between the
belief systems and taboos of the local communities in the
Southern periphery of the Korup National Park (KNP),
vis-à-vis the sustainable management of forest/wildlife
resources. A total of 485 out of 775 households (62.84%
effective respondents) was sampled in 13 villages in the
region. Questionnaire, interviews and field observations
constituted the main tools used in data collection. The
findings revealed that some significant and endangered
wildlife species such as chimpanzees, baboons, mandrills
and elephants are tabooed due to the local belief of
totemic kinship, which holds that some local people
transform into the above animals, and killing them
implies killing the totem owners. This view was affirmed
by 93.4% of the respondents. The chi statistic test (χ²)
value of 139.055497854, greater than the value of
significance (21.026 observed on the χ² table),
corroborated our findings on the view that there is an
inextricable link between the belief systems and taboos of
the local people and the sustainable management of
forest/wildlife resources. This implication is that these
wildlife species are fully protected for the benefit of the
ecological system. It was found out that, the Ekpesecret
society (the leopard cult) protects wildlife species in the
study area; as it regulates wildlife harvest and ensure
respect for indigenous protected areas (shrines and
sacred groves). The study recommends the integration of
indigenous belief systems and taboos linked to wildlife
conservation into the national Forestry/wildlife law(s).
There is also need to reinforce local wildlife management
institutions as there are being threatened of extinction by
‘modernity’. This will safeguard the socio-cultural
wellbeing of the local communities and empower them to
participate in the sustainable management of
forest/wildlife resources in the region
Keywords :
Indigenous people, Belief systems, Taboos, myths, forest/wildlife resources, conservation.
In Africa, most forest communities for over
centuries have developed traditional norms to ensure the
sustainable management of forest and wildlife resources,
in which their livelihood highly depend upon. The study
was an attempt to investigate the relationship between the
belief systems and taboos of the local communities in the
Southern periphery of the Korup National Park (KNP),
vis-à-vis the sustainable management of forest/wildlife
resources. A total of 485 out of 775 households (62.84%
effective respondents) was sampled in 13 villages in the
region. Questionnaire, interviews and field observations
constituted the main tools used in data collection. The
findings revealed that some significant and endangered
wildlife species such as chimpanzees, baboons, mandrills
and elephants are tabooed due to the local belief of
totemic kinship, which holds that some local people
transform into the above animals, and killing them
implies killing the totem owners. This view was affirmed
by 93.4% of the respondents. The chi statistic test (χ²)
value of 139.055497854, greater than the value of
significance (21.026 observed on the χ² table),
corroborated our findings on the view that there is an
inextricable link between the belief systems and taboos of
the local people and the sustainable management of
forest/wildlife resources. This implication is that these
wildlife species are fully protected for the benefit of the
ecological system. It was found out that, the Ekpesecret
society (the leopard cult) protects wildlife species in the
study area; as it regulates wildlife harvest and ensure
respect for indigenous protected areas (shrines and
sacred groves). The study recommends the integration of
indigenous belief systems and taboos linked to wildlife
conservation into the national Forestry/wildlife law(s).
There is also need to reinforce local wildlife management
institutions as there are being threatened of extinction by
‘modernity’. This will safeguard the socio-cultural
wellbeing of the local communities and empower them to
participate in the sustainable management of
forest/wildlife resources in the region
Keywords :
Indigenous people, Belief systems, Taboos, myths, forest/wildlife resources, conservation.
