On Nomadic Pig Pastoralism in the Bengal delta of Bangladesh

Previous studies of the interaction between pigs and humans have emphasized house pigs, which are managed by keepers in sedentary settlements. On the other hand, no ethnological studies have been made of nomadic native pigs. Therefore, it remains unclear whether these pig groups are nomadic or semi-nomadic in different study areas. Nobody knows who keeps these pigs, how they are cared for and controlled, or for what purpose they are being kept. Many anthropological studies of nomadic pastoralism have been made, with the noteworthy exception of such pigs: a lone study of pigs in Bangladesh is available in the literature. To investigate the actual conditions of this type of nomadic pig husbandry, the author conducted ethnological field research during the dry season (December 2007–February 2008) and the rainy season (July–August, 2008). First, nomadic pig herds were sought in the Dhaka area, Tangail District, and Gazipur District in the Bengal delta of Bangladesh. The herds were then followed and observed to discover how they fed and their routes of movement. In Bangladesh, pigs are raised by humans. They are seasonally nomadic while their owners seek grazing land and fodder for them. Each herd studied included approximately 100–200 pigs. The herds move over vast areas while seeking food in cultivated field lands. The movements very according to the seasons, the routes chosen according to food availability. Regarding the daily routine of nomadic pig husbandry, pig keepers depart from their camp in the morning and return to it in the evening. While herding their pigs, they diligently prevent the pigs from entering cultivated fields. Each herd occupies a wide area while seeking food in the open fields. By calling the pigs, the keepers can reduce the area that the animals occupy: that is to say the pigs pay attention to the commands of their handlers. The route of movement of the pigs and the seasonal change of land use are illustrative. Pig groups moved according to the season, depending on the availability of food resources. During the rainy season (June–September), they are able to live near flooded rivers. In years with large-scale flooding, they are reportedly kept in the forest, where they can eat trees roots. During thedry season, they are kept in cultivated fields after harvest. By digging in the soil, pigs are able to eat some plants that are considered noxious weeds by the farmers. The pigs can also eat rice grain remaining in paddy fields after harvest. However, when farmers began using a field for wheat and maize, the pigs had to be moved to other areas. The seasonal change in feeding resources was as follows. During the dry season, wild plants such as taro were the most important feeding resource supporting nomadic pig husbandry. Crops were also used. During the rainy season, earthworms were used as fodder. I observed cases of pigs kept in rubbish disposal areas for a few months near the main road of the city. In this case, two keepers made a camp and cared for their pigs. The rubbish site was constantly supplied from the city with kitchen refuse, which the pigs were keen to eat. In February 2008, two handlers were keeping their pigs in the same refuse area. However, in August 2008, they lost this resource because a local government office prohibited use of the land as a rubbish dump. No further information relating to how they cared for their pigs was obtainable after that. Nomadic pig pastoralism in Bangladesh depends on the seasonal use of natural resources and on less-seasonal kitchen refuse when available. The significance of this case study, for interactions between pigs and humans in tropical monsoon Asia, will be explored further in the near future.