When the dry season arrives, villagers often go hunting during the weekends in groups, using nets woven from the inner bark of woodland trees. They set the net in a nearly straight line. A few men armed with axes and spears hide behind trees. Other adults and children act as beaters, chasing animals into the net. On a lucky day, it is possible to catch a middle-sized duiker in the net. For villagers, a duiker’s meat is a precious subsidiary food. Sometimes, the hunting becomes a chance for divination. When there is a serious problem in the village, villagers attempt to see the intents of the ancestral spirits, using, for instance, the sex of the duiker they catch.

Net hunting in the woodland

Sharing the kill