How This Remote Tribe Tracks And Hunts Desert Predators | Man Hunt S1 E4 | Wonder

Wonder・2 minutes read

The San tribe in the Kalahari Desert are skilled hunters who use poison arrows, unique languages, and survival skills to provide essential nourishment for their village, showcasing their dedication and expertise in hunting. By practicing under experienced hunters and witnessing their resilience in hunting guinea fowl with poison arrows, the narrator learns about the San people's rich bow hunting traditions and the importance of passing down hunting knowledge for future generations.

Insights

  • The San tribe in the Kalahari Desert are skilled hunters who use poison arrows to track and hunt animals for food, showcasing their expertise in survival techniques and resourcefulness.
  • The narrative highlights the critical role of traditional knowledge and practices among the San people, emphasizing the passing down of hunting skills, the strategic use of poison for hunting, and the resilience and dedication displayed in providing sustenance for their families and community.

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Recent questions

  • How do the San tribe hunt in the Kalahari Desert?

    Using poison arrows and tracking methods.

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Summary

00:00

Skilled San hunters track prey in Kalahari.

  • The San tribe are skilled hunters in the Kalahari Desert, tracking prey for food using poison arrows.
  • Five experienced hunters, led by N'gou, are guiding Hayden Turner on a hunt for a duiker, a small antelope.
  • Tracking is divided into simple, systematic, and speculative methods, with the men visualizing the animal's movements.
  • The Kalahari Desert covers nearly a million square kilometers, with the San people using unique languages for different purposes.
  • While tracking the duiker, the group encounters three aggressive bull elephants, requiring quick action to avoid danger.
  • The hunt takes a turn when they discover a leopard has killed the duiker, leading to a tense situation with the predator nearby.
  • The leopard's kill provides vital meat for the hunters, with the carcass yielding enough food for 18 people.
  • The men face the challenge of digging out a porcupine from its burrow, a risky task due to the animal's defensive spines.
  • The successful hunt results in a large amount of meat, providing essential nourishment for the village.
  • The hunters demonstrate their survival skills by finding a tuber plant to extract water, crucial in the desert's dry season.

27:40

San People: Masters of Poison Arrow Hunting

  • The San people use poison extracted from grubs of the liver steena beetle to give their arrows a deadly dose, known as Diane toxin, which breaks down red blood cells similar to cobra or rattlesnake venom.
  • The narrator learns bow hunting from the San people, who have been using bows for 60,000 years, and practices under the guidance of experienced hunters.
  • The hunt for a tough antelope, the hems Bock, involves tracking fresh footprints, understanding the animal's behavior, and planning a stealthy approach within 40 meters for a single shot with a poison arrow.
  • Despite failing to hunt the antelope due to spooking the herd, the narrator witnesses the San people's dedication to providing food for their families and the village, showcasing their hard work and resilience.
  • A second hunting attempt targets guinea fowl, requiring stealth, accuracy, and teamwork between the hunters to take down the fast-moving birds with poison arrows, showcasing the San people's exceptional hunting skills.
  • The successful hunt of a guinea fowl demonstrates the effectiveness of the poison arrow, providing valuable meat and highlighting the importance of passing down hunting knowledge to future generations.
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