Indigenous-led conservation helps save endangered cockatoo

An Indigenous Indonesian community on Seram Island has discovered a way to safeguard the world's rarest cockatoo, the salmon-crested cockatoo, without abandoning a centuries-old sacred tradition. The Huaulu people adapted their Cidaku initiation ceremony to replace hunting the endangered birds with the use of naturally molted feathers gathered from wildlife rescue centers.

This innovative approach, co-designed with conservation experts and government authorities, has been officially endorsed by the Indonesian government. Dr. George Olah, a senior researcher from the Fenner School of Environment and Society, explained that the spiritual essence of the Cidaku ritual is now derived from the cockatoo's inherent qualities rather than from the act of hunting.

The study, published in the Journal of Ethnobiology, reveals that commercial wildlife trafficking is the primary cause of the cockatoo's decline. By establishing a "feather bank" that provides naturally shed feathers from rehabilitation centers, the Huaulu community has eliminated the need for hunting wild birds for their ritual.

Lead author Dwi Agustina emphasized that the agreement not only protects the species but also acknowledges the community's role as guardians of their environment. The research underscores that successful conservation efforts can coexist with cultural integrity, offering a global model for biocultural conservation that values Indigenous knowledge and community involvement.