The Role of Mammals in Local Communities Living in Conservation Areas in the Northeast of Brazil: An Ethnozoological Approach

Abstract

Humans have used animals and their products since the beginning of their shared history. Animals are used for different purposes, including food, medicines and magical-religious practices. This study analyzes two communities that reside in a conservation area to determine the role of mammals by these communities, considering the influences of factors such as gender and age on the knowledge and use of the mammals by individuals. Data were obtained through semi-structured interviews in the two communities in the Chapada do Araripe Environmental Protection Area (APA/Araripe) in Brazil. All of the inhabited houses in the communities were visited, and at most, two people were interviewed per household. A total of 229 interviews were conducted with local residents. A total of 32 species of mammals was recorded, with 8 used for medicinal purposes, 17 species used as food resources, and 23 species related to superstition. Men knew and used more mammals as zootherapeutics and as a food resource than women, whereas for superstition, there was no significant difference between the genders. Regarding age, adults knew and used more mammals as zootherapeutics, and the elderly used more mammals as a food resource. This study demonstrates that the use of wild mammals still occurs in rural communities in Brazil, even in conservation units where the federal laws are stricter.