Patrones de Cacería y Conservación de la Fauna Silvestre en una Comunidad Maya de Quintana Roo, México

Abstract

In the quest for actions that may help to conserve wildlife, we obtained information on hunting practices in a Mayan community of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. We described the hunting dynamics and the methods used to obtain prey. We found that hunting is mainly carried out (79% of hunted prey) by a small group of four hunters representing only 16% of the total population of hunters. The other hunters (84%) practice hunting as a complement to other activities such as the milpa, in order to cover the basic requirements of their families. Overall, wildlife conservation in the community might be threatened by the hunts made by the four main hunters. We also present data that indicate that hunting probably affects various species in the wild, since the activity is not selective and is practiced year-long, even during mating seasons. In presenting information on the diversity of wildlife exploited by the community and the uses of each species, we show that wildlife and its products are underused. Finally, the legends and empirical knowledge we gathered show that beliefs and traditions useful for wildlife management are still preserved and practiced by most hunters in Tres Reyes.