Dogs lead way toward community boar hunts

Dogs lead way toward community boar hunts

PADANGPANJANG, West Sumatra (JP): Joining a band of men and
dogs in the traditional boar hunt here exercises both the body
and the mind.

Not only do you see the rich culture of the Minangkabau, an
ethnic group in West Sumatra, but are also able to immerse in the
natural beauty of this small town at the foot the famous Mount
Merapi.

Gettong, a veteran hunting dog, limped along on his three
remaining legs. A trophy of his deadly wrestle with a boar four
years ago.

Growling ferociously, he tugged at his leash. This set dozens
of other dogs off, they began to growl and tug too. They were all
impatient to start the hunt.

Mak Uning, the owner of the dog whose name means "mutilated",
struggled to keep Gettong from shooting ahead into the woods
beside the Sawahlunto-Sijunjung village.

Gettong's colleagues, all skilled hunters, were positioned in
a semi-circle around a woods boars usually hide in before raiding
rice paddy at night.

Soon, it was the dogs who were leading their owners. The men
chased after the dogs running through rice fields and bushes,
climbing over hedges and small hills, splashing into puddles of
mud. The dog owners were soon drenched in sweat.

The dogs bounded into the usually quiet woods, their barking
filling the silence; indicating their positions to their pursuing
masters.

Shouts echoed through the green hills: "Woaaaaaaeeeeiii. Ado
di sikoo. Banyoaaaak ko! (Hey, boars here. Lots of them)"

Shouting is the only effective means of communication during a
hunt.

"Woaaaaaaeeeeiii...lupak kulai-ku ado nan jumpo? Hilaaang,
hilaaang! (Anybody seen my dog? He's missing)"

"Di ateh Daaa... di ateeeeh Daaa! (Up there, brother)"

The dogs followed the barked commands of their leaders,
especially Gettong. The owners, however, usually wait until they
are sure boars are around before letting go of the leash.

Gettong and the first group of dogs were already in the woods,
chasing and fighting the boars. Its a serious battle. The dogs
must either kill or be maimed by the boars' horns.

Once a boar is felled, it is a goner. The hundreds of growling
dogs attack it greedily, tearing it apart. The noise is
deafening. The scene is horrifying as the dogs lick blood off
their fangs.

After feasting on the flesh of the boar, the dogs return to
the owners, ready to pursue other boars in other spots in the
woods. Folklore says that the more blood a dog tastes, the more
skillful a hunter it will become.

The dogs don't always get a kill. Sometimes they lose track of
the boars. Some dogs, like Gettong, fail infrequently, but others
aren't as skillful and fail to sniff out a boar. The owners pat
their heads, and encourage them to try again.

Attachment

Gettong is one of the most respected hunters. Not only has he
drunk the most blood, he also boasts several marks of bravery. In
addition to the loss of his hind leg, he has a cut on his
forehead, a scar across his belly and another scar on his neck.

With such "medals of valor", no wonder Gettong is treated well
by his owner. He is bathed regularly, and has had various
vaccinations -- something not all dogs enjoy.

He even gets special food and is allowed to roam in the yard.
Not every dog enjoys so much freedom in this predominantly Moslem
community, where dogs are seen as haram (forbidden).

Two other dogs which have almost reached Gettong's standing
are Koboi and Tumbok. They are fed only boiled white rice. Their
owner, Munif, believes that depriving them of meat is the secret
to good hunting skills.

Jacky, another of Munif's dogs, eats boiled rice with sambal
lado (traditional Minangkabau dish featuring meat with lots of
chili).

Watching how tenderly these men take care of their dogs, one
cannot help but compare it to Javanese men's attachment to caged
birds. These men willingly go hungry as long as their dogs are
well fed.

There's no specific physical features to signify a good hunt
dog from the rest.

"Some dogs like to hunt, others just don't," Munif explained.
"Even the hunters don't like to hunt when the time comes for them
to mate."

Fading

Even one of the oldest dog owners, Abdul Munif Zainal, feels
that there is a great possibility that boar hunting may soon
cease to exist.

"Boars are becoming rarer," the former civil servant said. He
was first taken hunting 40 years ago at the age of 17 by his
father.

Even if someday all boars are gone, he believes he will still
hunt. It's in his blood as a Minangkabau man in this town. He
cannot imagine a Sunday without a hunt.

"If my village runs out of boars, I'll join hunters in other
villages," Abdul asserted.

Villages raise yellow flags beside a picture of boar to
signify a hunt in progress. Anyone is welcome to join the
hunters.

Recently, there were attempts to organize the hunt to make it
more attractive to tourists. The Boar-hunt Association has for
several years organized major hunting events, inviting hundreds
of dog owners from different regencies to join.

In the last large hunt, held soon after planting, hundreds of
hunters came and dozens of boars were killed.

This traditional pastime allows people to mingle. Farmers,
small traders, and local government officials, young and old, mix
and run together behind their dogs.

"Hunting may not always result in a boar getting killed, but
it sure gives us the opportunity to get more new friends," Kiyo,
a 75-year old hunter, told The Jakarta Post. "We know we really
have friends and togetherness while hunting."

-- Wisnu Pramudya