Growing Diversity – West Africa

TITLE OF EXPERIENCE: Management of wild fauna by the Djoliba hunters

AUTHOR: Organisation of Djoliba Hunters, Women and Ecology NGO

COUNTRY AND REGION: Mail, Djoliba

ECOLOGICAL ZONE:

ABSTRACT

The hunting clubs (sociétés in French), currently known as organisations (associations in French), are part of the oldest cultural and esoteric Manding organisations. (The Manding are one of the largest civilisations in Mali and West Africa.) Their beginnings go back to the earliest times. In the Manding culture, the hunter (or dozo) is the one who understands all the basic elements of the earth, the fauna and the flora; he is able to decode and understand the interactions between these three elements of nature. As a result, most hunters are also traditional healers. The religious centres of hunting groups are the sacred woods. These clubs are based on a common religion for all members, which provides an unshakeable brotherhood and solidarity amongst all hunters from the same club or organisation.

The Organisation of Djoliba Hunters is a remnant of the Manding hunting clubs, in which the principle ethnic groups are the Malinké and Bambara. The organisation brings together hunters from eight villages. The hunting zone has several functions, such as a sanctuary for herbal medicine, a sanctuary for game, protection for villages etc…. Several species of animals and wild plants are found, including those that are disappearing. Knowledge about hunting is passed on from generation to generation, using age-old traditional teaching methods; these guarantee the sustainable management of animal resources.

This organisation, as with other hunting organisations in Mali and West Africa, changed dramatically; this is due to changes in climate and evolving socio-economic changes in the country. Also changing are population growth and human activities - the intensification of livestock farming and industrialisation which uses wood as a source of energy. Such activities have led to deforestation and the loss of game. Today, thanks to decentralisation and the awakening of civil society, the Organisation of Djoliba Hunters want to take up the challenge: to restore their ecosystem.

CONTACT:

Organisation of Djoliba Hunters (Association des chasseurs de Djoliba), S/C ONG Femmes et Ecologie, BP E 161, Bamako, Mail, Tel: 223 77 67 10, Fax: 223 29 22 81, asamake@cefib.com