BIODIVERSITAS ISSN: 1412-033X Volume 20, Number 5, May 2019 E-ISSN: 2085-4722 Pages: 1284-1293 DOI: 10.13057/biodiv/d200506 Changes of ecological wisdom of Sundanese People on conservation of wild animals: A case study in Upper Cisokan Watershed, West Java, Indonesia SIDIK PERMANA 1 , JOHAN ISKANDAR 1,2,3 , PARIKESIT 1,2,3 , TEGUH HUSODO 1,2,3 , ERRI N. MEGANTARA 1,2,3 , RUHYAT PARTASASMITA 3, ♥ 1 Institute of Ecology (PPSDAL), Universitas Padjadjaran. Jl. Sekeloa Selatan I, Bandung 40134, West Java, Indonesia 2 Postgraduate of Environmental Science (PSMIL & DIL), Universitas Padjadjaran. Jl. Sekeloa Selatan I, Bandung 40134, West Java, Indonesia 3 Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Padjadjaran. Jl. Raya Bandung - Sumedang Km 21, Jatinangor, Sumedang 45363, West Java, Indonesia. Tel. +62 - 22 - 7796412 ext. 104. Fax. +62 - 22 - 7794545. ♥ email: rp2010rikkyo@gmail.com; ruhyat.partasasmita@unpad.ac.id Manuscript received: 26 December 2018. Revision accepted: 11 April 2019. Abstract. Permana S, Iskandar J, Parikesit, Husodo T, Megantara EN, Partasasmita R. 2019. Changes of ecological wisdom of Sundanese People on conservation of wild animals: A case study in Upper Cisokan Watershed, West Java, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 20: 1284-1293. In the past Sundanese rural people had a very close relationship with the environment. They utilize the natural resources based on traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and is strongly influenced by their perception of nature. This article elucidates the mythology of Sundanese rural people on wild animals and the changes of rural people perceptions and their behavior to wild animals in the rural ecosystem based on a case study in Bojong Salam and Sukaresmi villages, Rongga district, West Bandung, the upper Cisokan watershed, West Java. Method used in this study was qualitative, while some techniques, including observation, participant observation, and semi-structured interview were applied. The result of study showed that in the past Sundanese the rural people of Upper Cisokan watershed, West Bandung, West Java owned myths on some wild animals that is inherited from their ancestor through oral and using mother language. The influence of these myths on wild animals caused the rural people had prohibited to kill these animals, and important role for traditional conservation. Nowadays, however, some myths on wild animals of rural people have not eroded or not recognized by young generations. Consequently, some taboos in hunting and catching animal based on myths on wild animals have tended not been applied to conserve wild animals traditionally. Therefore, to develop appropriate nature conservation, the biophysical, the socio-economic and cultural aspects must be holistically considered. Keywords: Animal mythology, ecological wisdom, rural people, Sundanese, Upper Cisokan watershed INTRODUCTION Sundanese rural people residing in West Java have a strong relationship with their environment and its components such as wild animals. They perceive natural resources and environment not only for their economic values, but also as a sacred power that can influence their life. Based on their belief, therefore, they have respected their environment components, including wild animals (Toledo 1992; Iskandar 2014, 2017). The respect of Sundanese people on environment components has built the local knowledge or traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), and generated wish behavior to their environment or ecological wisdom. Berkes (2008) defined TEK as ‘a cumulative body of knowledge, practice, and belief, evolving by adaptive processes and handed down through generations by cultural transmission, about the relationship of living beings (including humans) with one another and with their environment’. The respect of rural Sundanese people on environment components can also be expressed as ecological wisdom to interact and treat wild animals that is strongly embedded by mythos and their belief. Both local knowledge and ecological wisdom on wild animals have been traditionally passed through generations by using oral of mother language and strongly based on culture (Alves and Souto 2015; Iskandar 2018; Permana et al. 2018). Since rapid population increase, intensive economic penetration to rural area, technology and communication development, and ecosystem changes, the perception, and behavior of the rural Sundanese people toward wild animals had dramatically changed (Maffi 1999; Iskandar and Iskandar 2011; Partasasmita et al. 2016a). An example of the effect of an intensive penetration of market economy to West Javanese rural areas was that people started to hunt wild animals to fulfill their daily needs and lifestyle. Introduction of new agricultural practices such as applications of inorganic fertilizers and synthetic pesticides had seriously caused pollution on water bodies, including rivers and fish ponds that were the habitats of fishes and various water organisms. In addition, forest clearing, intensification of agriculture, and infrastructural development projects had affected and destroyed the habitat of wild animals. As a result, some negative human activities on environment have caused decrease or even extinction of some wild animals in rural areas of West Java (Iskandar 2014; Iskandar 2015).