Knowledge and use of wildlife by hunters in the Brazilian semiarid region: a case study in Paraíba State

Abstract

The present study was undertaken in a traditional community in the semiarid region of Paraíba State, Northeastern Brazil, with the purpose of registering the main animal species hunted and evaluating the implications of these practices in terms of the conservation of local fauna. A total of 78 species of wild tetrapod vertebrates were cited by 24 interviewees as being hunted in the region. These animals were separated into four different animals groups (mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians) with ten distinct purposes: zootherapy, folk veterinary medicine, cosmetics, mystical-religious purposes, creation/domestication, commercial exploration, ornamental use, as food, as entertainment, and for animal control. This work highlights the lack of studies regarding some forms of exploitation of wildlife resources as a barrier that hinders the assessment of priorities for conservation and management, by precluding a stable inventory of animal species under the greatest pressure of use. However, even with these barriers we can clearly see that exploitation and utilization of wildlife by man represents one of the most significant uses of natural resources in the surveyed areas.