Etnoprimatologia de Sapajus flavius (SCHREBER, 1774) em fragmentos de floresta atlântica no nordeste do Brasil

Abstract

The ecological overlapping of humans and other primates through anthropization leads to diverse interactions between these animal groups, some with a harmonious character and others creating conflicts between them, thus damaging the state of conservation of the wild species involved. With the present study, we investigat ed the interaction and knowledge of the inhabitants about the biology of Sapajus flavius. Data were obtained through structured questionnaires and semi-structured and free interviews with local communities living on the banks of two fragments of Atlantic Forest important for the conservation of S. flavius, Camaratuba Experimental Station / ASPLAN and Pau Brasil State Ecological Station, in the municipality of Mamanguape, PB. Through questionnaires applied to the residents about the blond capuchin monkey, information was obtained on the ecology and attitudes of the interviewees in relation to their conservation. Subsequently, Local Ecological Knowledge Indicators (LEK) and Conservation Attitudes were developed for residents. The results show that the inhabitants' contact with the forest brings experience about the biology of the blond capuchin monkey to them, and thus, they have knowledge regarding mainly their diet. Residents interviewed stated that the blond capuchin monkey have been decreasing in forest fragments over the years, and that possibly the main reason is the reduction of the availability of resources and the increase of antropic activities in the areas. Most of the residents have a high index of local ecological knowledge about the blond capuchi n monkey, although the information is distributed differently between men and women and according to age, with older men having a higher index of knowledge. Likewise, the presence of existing conflicts from the invasion of monkeys to the plantations of the residents did not affect their conservation attitude, and the interviewees showed a high predisposition to conserve the species. These results lead us to consider that the blond capuchin monkey is seen as a charismatic species, arousing the inhabitants' interest in knowing the species, and, above all, conserving it