Complexities of local cultural protection in conservation: the case of an Endangered African primate and forest groves protected by social taboos

Abstract

Globally, some species and habitats receive protection through local belief systems (e.g. indigenous religions) and informal institutions (e.g. social norms and taboos). Where such systems represent the only form of protection for threatened species or environments, they may be critical to the survival of those taxa and sites. We evaluated the effectiveness of long-standing social taboos protecting the Endangered Sclater's monkey Cercopithecus sclateri and forest groves in a community complex in Nigeria. Across its range (southern Nigeria), Sclater's monkey is effectively protected only through informal institutions. At our study site, we conducted a census of the monkey population; measured the area of sacred groves; and compared our findings with estimates from 2010 and 2005, respectively. We observed a 36% increase in the monkey population (from 249 to 339 individuals) in a core survey area. No groves that we assessed in 2005 had been fully cleared. Although we observed a decline in tree cover for several sacred forests, most groves used regularly by monkeys had changed little. The social taboos related to monkeys and sacred groves remain largely intact; however, other factors threaten the monkey population and remaining forests in this community complex, including the removal of tree patches to accommodate the construction of large residential buildings and the demand for cropland, as well as increased dumping of waste in forested sites. This study highlights the conservation importance and limitations of local cultural protection, as well as the challenges presented when such protection conflicts with community-perceived development needs.

Sacred groves and serpent‐gods moderate human–snake relations

“…This overall societal taboo against the harming or killing of snakes of course benefits conservation efforts on local snake species (Baker, Tanimola, & Olubode, ; Saraswat, Sinha, & Radhakrishna, ). Yet the importance of sacred groves in promoting pacifistic interactions with snakes is integral to this concept, since our results show that harm to snakes by people is exceptionally rare in these forests.…”

“…But all in all, it is apparent that there is a social taboo against harming snakes inside sacred groves and that this could be pushed forward as leverage for the integrative conservation of both snakes and sacred groves in the face of encroachment by development and plantations (Bhagwat & Rutte, ; Khan et al, ; Ormsby & Bhagwat, ). Documented cases where traditional taboos in sacred sites have successfully led to the protection of species otherwise considered as dangerous or pests include the Sclater's monkey ( Cercopithecus sclateri ) in Nigeria (Baker et al, ), rhesus macaques ( Macaca mulatta ) in India (Saraswat et al, ), as well as the snow leopard ( Panthera uncia ) in China (Li et al, ). This is especially important for snake species which are currently at risk either in the Western Ghats or in other parts of their distribution due to the direct harvest of individuals for international trade.…”

Biocultural vulnerability exposes threats of culturally important species

“…Biocultural approaches can widen existing conservation frameworks by recognizing and honoring the relationships between people and other parts of nature, proposing actions based on conservation priorities and cultural values aligned with local priorities ( 3 , 14 , 15 ). Examples of biocultural approaches to conservation include initiatives that recognize the spiritual significance of landscapes as manifested in sacred sites ( 16 , 17 ), the importance of social norms, such as taboos or customary rules in wildlife management ( 18 , 19 ), or the cultural significance of some species, including them in management strategies ( 20 , 21 ) or in conservation planning in the face of climate change ( 22 ). Despite recent applications of biocultural approaches in specific case studies, we lack mechanisms that allow a global uptake of a biocultural framework (but a proposal is provided in ref.…”

Biocultural conflicts: understanding complex interconnections between a traditional ceremony and threatened carnivores in north Kenya

“…Infield et al, 2018), such as customary taboos (e.g. Baker et al, 2018; Yuliani et al, 2018), spiritual beliefs (e.g. Sommer, 2002; Holmes et al, 2018) or rules regulating access to sacred natural sites (e.g.…”