Scholarlink

<p>In the natural world, humans and birds have formed deep, mutually beneficial relationships, particularly in regions where indigenous communities rely on gathering and hunting. In southwestern Ethiopia, such interactions are not incidental but essential, with local people engaging in unique mutualistic partnerships; between honey gatherers and honeyguides to find wild beehives, and between hunters and vultures to locate wounded prey. This study assessed the nature, benefits, and challenges of these human-bird interactions through structured questionnaires involving 99 honey gatherers and hunters, supported by key informant interviews (KIIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs). Multiple regression analysis was used to evaluate factors influencing gathering and hunting success, whereas multiple response regression was applied to identify key benefits and challenges. This study underscores that mutualistic relationships between humans and wildlife remain vital. Honeyguides guide honey gatherers to wild beehives, benefiting from access to beeswax and larvae. Meanwhile, subsistence hunters using traditional, non-toxic weapons depend on vultures to locate wounded prey that escape after being shot, and in turn, vultures gain access to the remains of these hunts. Because hunters avoid poisons and hunt primarily for food, carcasses remain poison-free for scavengers, supporting healthy vulture populations. Regression models confirm the importance of these interactions; honey gathering success (94.0% variance explained) depends strongly on the time spent with and frequency of interaction with honeyguides, while hunting success (92.6% variance explained) hinges on vulture assistance reducing search effort for wounded prey and minimizing losses of fresh meat. Most of honey gatherers (76.19%) reward honeyguides with wax, reinforcing reciprocity. Yet both partnerships are threatened by competition, occasional conflict, and most critically cultural erosion from modernization and loss of traditional knowledge. This study shows that human-wildlife mutualisms are not incidental but evolved, functional partnerships embedded in cultural practices and ecological systems supporting both human livelihoods and wildlife survival. Conserving them requires a conservation paradigm that formally recognizes indigenous knowledge as an irreplaceable pillar of biodiversity protection and sustainable ecosystem management.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Mutualistic human-bird interactions: Honeyguides and vultures’ unique symbioses with indigenous communities in Southwestern Ethiopia

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年8月1日

查看全文
  • Eskinder Belay Tefera,
  • Nils Christian Stenseth,
  • Tibebu Alemu,
  • Dessalegn Obsi Gemeda,
  • Tariku Mekonnen Gutema

摘要

In the natural world, humans and birds have formed deep, mutually beneficial relationships, particularly in regions where indigenous communities rely on gathering and hunting. In southwestern Ethiopia, such interactions are not incidental but essential, with local people engaging in unique mutualistic partnerships; between honey gatherers and honeyguides to find wild beehives, and between hunters and vultures to locate wounded prey. This study assessed the nature, benefits, and challenges of these human-bird interactions through structured questionnaires involving 99 honey gatherers and hunters, supported by key informant interviews (KIIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs). Multiple regression analysis was used to evaluate factors influencing gathering and hunting success, whereas multiple response regression was applied to identify key benefits and challenges. This study underscores that mutualistic relationships between humans and wildlife remain vital. Honeyguides guide honey gatherers to wild beehives, benefiting from access to beeswax and larvae. Meanwhile, subsistence hunters using traditional, non-toxic weapons depend on vultures to locate wounded prey that escape after being shot, and in turn, vultures gain access to the remains of these hunts. Because hunters avoid poisons and hunt primarily for food, carcasses remain poison-free for scavengers, supporting healthy vulture populations. Regression models confirm the importance of these interactions; honey gathering success (94.0% variance explained) depends strongly on the time spent with and frequency of interaction with honeyguides, while hunting success (92.6% variance explained) hinges on vulture assistance reducing search effort for wounded prey and minimizing losses of fresh meat. Most of honey gatherers (76.19%) reward honeyguides with wax, reinforcing reciprocity. Yet both partnerships are threatened by competition, occasional conflict, and most critically cultural erosion from modernization and loss of traditional knowledge. This study shows that human-wildlife mutualisms are not incidental but evolved, functional partnerships embedded in cultural practices and ecological systems supporting both human livelihoods and wildlife survival. Conserving them requires a conservation paradigm that formally recognizes indigenous knowledge as an irreplaceable pillar of biodiversity protection and sustainable ecosystem management.