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

chase of one such group, they will eventually take shelter in one of their sleeping
places - an empty, rotten tree trunk, or the vacated burrow of a giant armadillo. The
dog remains at the entrance, keeping them trapped there until the arrival of the
hunter, who quickly cuts down saplings and constructs a cone of these around the
entrance to the hole, trapping the peccaries within. A kokerite palm is then located,
and a long petiole cut, at an angle to provide a sharp end. This is then pushed into
the hole to drive the peccaries out, one by one, into the funnel. Each animal is killed
on its emergence from the hole by a blow to the back of the neck with a cutlass.
Collared peccaries are common pests at the farm, where they feed on all kinds of
tuber. Herds tend to follow a fairly regular cycle of movement: having fed at the farm
once, they are likely to return after an interval of several days. This behaviour is
exploited by the hunter, who will thus be able to predict when they are likely to
return to the farm. Farmers suffering crop predation from collared peccaries, who do
not have a dog trained for their capture, may ask the assistance of someone who
does have a suitable dog in killing them. Collared peccary movements are also to
some extent predictable in the face of seasonal changes in food availability. Hunters
familiar with an area are thus able to exploit their knowledge of the distribution of the
tree species which they know collared peccaries are feeding off at any particular time
of year, to improve their chances of locating herds.
8.1.3 Hunting of laba, Agouti paca
The laba, oran in Wapishana is regarded by many as the best-tasting of all wild
meats, and is a highly prized food. It is hunted by a variety of methods. Some rely on
its often predictable movements: they may regularly use the same path to travel on
different nights, and can be caught by building a raised platform above or adjacent to
this upon which the hunter lies in wait after dark. The capture is made easier by use
of a torch, as shining a bright light in the animal's face causes it to stand transfixed
and allows an easy kill. This response to light is also exploited in another method of
hunting, in which a hunter travels a creek - either in a canoe or on foot along the
creek bed during dry season - shining a torch to locate and petrify any laba that may
be present along the banks.
During mango season, seeds of the fallen fruits are an important food for laba,
and several animals may visit a single tree in the forest during the course of a night.
They are often caught by climbing the tree and waiting in the night for the animals to
come; many mango trees in the forest have platforms built in to the crotch for this
purpose. Some people also bait them with corn or cassava, left in a particular place