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The Lisu people’s traditional natural philosophy and its potential impact on conservation planning in the Laojun Mountain region, Yunnan Province, China

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Abstract

In this study, we explored a conservation process from an ethnoprimatological perspective for the management of national parks and nature reserves. We accumulated attitude and knowledge data on the traditional culture, religion, and current attitudes to conservation of rural and urban groups of ethnic Lisu people, who live in the village of Liju or have migrated to urban areas, respectively. The data clearly indicated that most of the interviewees had similar feelings and attitudes toward the conservation of Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus bieti) and Laojun Mountain National Park (LMNP), irrespective of whether they live in or have moved away from their home village, or if their educational background differs. Both the rural (96.6%) and urban (100%) interviewees expressed their deep affection for Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys and supported (90.3% and 89.0%, respectively) the seasonal closure of mountainous areas for conservation purposes. The Lisu peoples culture, history, and traditions were evaluated with regards to the developing trend for environmentalism, and their advanced attitudes toward environmental protection and resource utilization exceeded our expectations. The results of this study show huge potential for the optimal mitigation of human–animal conflict in the context of conservation planning not only for LMNP but also for other national parks and nature reserves.

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Acknowledgements

This research was funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (KAKENHI grant nos. 24000001 and 16H06283, LGP-U04, and Core-to-Core CCSN to T. M.). We gratefully acknowledge the support from Kyoto University and its Wildlife Research Center, the Nature Conservancy and Lijiang Laojun Mountain Biodiversity Conservation Center. We also thank Prof. Li Jiaochang (Yunnan Minzu University) and Mrs. He Wenqin (Lisu Culture Research Association) for their support of our study, Mr. Yutaro Sato and Dr. Niu Kefeng for their help in data collection and analysis, and Ms. Kristin Havercamp (Wildlife Research Center of Kyoto University) and Peter Fogarty (Edanz Group: www.edanzediting.com) for editing a draft of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan

    Jie Liu & Satoshi Hirata

  2. Lijiang Dongba Culture Research Institute, Lijiang, Yunnan, China

    Dejing Li

  3. Kyoto University Institute for Advanced Study, Kyoto, Japan

    Tetsuro Matsuzawa

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  1. Jie Liu
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Liu, J., Li, D., Matsuzawa, T. et al. The Lisu people’s traditional natural philosophy and its potential impact on conservation planning in the Laojun Mountain region, Yunnan Province, China. Primates 62, 153–164 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-020-00841-2

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