Abstract
Vultures are at-risk birds whose survival is linked with the communities with which they co-exist. Ecocultural services rendered by vultures earn them a positive perception which is useful for conservation. Such services have been scarcely documented in India. Questionnaire survey, semi-structured interview and focus group discussion were used as qualitative research tools to collect information from Tharu, Pardhi, Gond, Ahirwar and other dominant communities who live in proximity of vultures in the study area, particularly Tarai and Vindhyan Bundelkhand ecozones. These communities carried a positive perception of vultures, reflected in the use of body parts in practices related to medicine and mental wellbeing. Traditional knowledge was confined to the elders and transmitted through sociocultural practices. This knowledge is getting eroded with each generation due to the mainstreaming of these communities in the society. Nevertheless, the cultural bond between vultures and indigenous people could be beneficial in the conservation of vultures.
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Data Availability Statement
All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article.
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The authors are grateful to all the respondents in this study who kindly shared their knowledge, practices, memories and time with them.
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Jha, R., Jha, K.K. & Kanaujia, A. Humans and Vultures: Sociocultural and Conservation Perspective in Northern India. Hum Ecol 51, 107–118 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-022-00377-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-022-00377-7