Ethnoecology, Resource Use, Conservation And Development In A ...

each case: being blown from the tree tops by wind, falling when rotten branches
break, and falling when travelling at night. Four interviewees raised the subject of
calling, two of whom said they call in the morning, one adding that they also call late
in the day. One said that calling regularly occurs at 2 am, and the fourth did not
mention the timing of calls, but said they climb to tree tops to ensure the call travels
far and arrange themselves in a particular formation.
All nine interviewees identified the harpy eagle as a major predator, and two of
these each added a species of felid. Three interviewees said that chronic infestation
with mosquito worms was a continuous condition - most serious during the dry
season, according to one, and caused by the consumption of certain fruits (one
interviewee specified Spondias mombin) according to the other two.
6.3.9 Brown capuchin, ‘common monkey’, ‘Jack’.
All seven interviewees identified fruit as a major dietary component; three of these
additionally mentioned arthropods. Five interviewees identified a single food species
of key importance. In three cases, this was the fruit of the kokerite palm (Attalea
regia), while waazu (Astrocaryum sp.) and kawarori (Anacardium giganteum) fruits
were each mentioned once. Four interviewees mentioned the occurrence of a
seasonal food shortage, during the dry season. Only two of these suggested what
might be eaten over this period, and their answers differed: one said fruits of koram
(Inga spp., on this occasion used in its generic sense), another insects and bushrope
fruits. Six interviewees considered the question of seed dispersal, five of these
stating that seeds were not normally eaten and therefore not dispersed. One of these
did add that seeds of Attalea were occasionally dispersed synzoochorously, when the
fruits were carried to be consumed away from the parent tree. One interviewee
suggested that some small seeds were eaten and dispersed endozoochorously, but
did not name the species. Three interviewees mentioned that hard fruits or nuts could
be broken open by banging them against branches. Four interviewees also mentioned
farm raiding for corn, and two said that sugar cane may also be taken.
A range of different group sizes was suggested: 4-10, 5-10, 8-17, 10-15, and
three larger answers: 15 or more, 15-30 and 20-30. These are difficult to reconcile
except by considering group size to be variable. A single interviewee distinguished the
social behaviour of the wainsara, indicating that it is solitary. This name was
employed by several interviewees to refer to a kind of powatu distinguished by its
large size, and described by one interviewee as specifically being a large male.
Another interviewee described the wainsara as the 'toushao' for the group. Group