Indian Journal of Science and Technology

Abstract

Objective: An ethnozoological evaluation was carried out on the wild mammals to establish the regional link between the fauna and human populations. Methods/Statistical Analysis: The study area was located in the Morrosquillo subregion of Sucre, Caribbean, Colombia, and was carried out between November, 2017 and March, 2018. The information on exploitation and other considerations, along with the analysis of the obtained data, was gathered with the application of 100 semi-structured surveys, with p = 0.05, alpha 99% and d = 5%. For the determination of the species of wild mammals, an illustrated catalog was developed, which sought to facilitate the identification of the collected species. For the analyzes, descriptive statistics were used and the following were calculated: Cultural Importance Index and Total Cultural Importance Index. Findings: 22 species in 13 ethnozoological categories were identified, of which the most significant in terms of number of associated mammals were trade, pet and consumption species; in addition, the cultural importance for Sylvilagus floridanus and Notosciurus granatensis was noteworthy; the latter had the largest number of linked ethnozoological categories. Application: From the conservationist point of view, knowledge on a given area in terms of the human-wildlife relationship is very important, especially when taking into account perceptions that come from culture, economy, history, society and individual thought, which are also related to the biological characteristics of harvested species or other considerations.

Keywords: Exploitation, Caribbean, Colombia, Ethnozoology, Wild Mammals