Animal | Part used | Use and use method | Reason(s) |
---|---|---|---|
Nile crocodile Crocodylus niloticus | Skull2 | - Decoration | Traditional inherited practice |
Skin2 | - Making of drums | Large, durable, elastic and resistant, produce the desired sound (different from other skins) and contains less fat | |
Egyptian cobra Naja haje | Skin2 | - Making of drums | Strong |
Head1 | - Sold to Nigerians | For money | |
Dwarf crocodile Osteolaemus tetraspis | Skull and dung1 | - Sold to Nigerians | For money |
Dung1 | - Treat skin problems: rub on the skin | Medicinal | |
Teeth3 | - For making necklaces | Prestige | |
Skin2,3 | - Making of drums | Strong and durable | |
- Decoration | Indicates a member of Ekpe | ||
African rock python Python sebae | Skull1 | - Sold to Nigerians | For money |
Fat1 (Figure 20) | - Treat joint pains, snake bite, fire burns, stomachache, swollen fingers, sprain and skin inflammations: apply on the body part | Medicinal | |
Egg1 | - Treats poison: extract the yolk and apply on cuts made on the body with a razorblade | Medicinal | |
Bone and fat1 | - Treats waist pains: burn and grind the bones, then mix with the fat and apply on cuts made on the waist with a razor blade | Medicinal | |
Skin2,3 | - Making of drums | Durable, produces the desired sound, light, large and elastic | |
- Making drums of sacred societies | Denotes strength and power | ||
- Used as carpets by chiefs | For honor | ||
Head1 | - Treats snake bites: grind and mix with your blood and consume | Medicinal | |
- Sold to Nigerians | For money | ||
Eastern green mamba Dendroaspis angusticeps | Head1 | - Ingredient for the composition of the remedy against snake bites | Not revealed |
Tortoise Kinixys spp.; | Shell1,3,4 (Figure 21) | - Prevents many diseases: grind and mix with modern medicines and consume | Increases human resistance to diseases |
- To announce messages/sad news in the village: play using either branches of trees, bones of blue duiker, elephant, red river hog, gorilla, drill and chimpanzee | Inherited traditional practice | ||
- Decoration | Inherited traditional practice | ||
- Sold to Nigerians | For money | ||
- Treats eczema: burn, grind and apply on the skin | Medicinal | ||
Bone1 | - For strength: burn, grind, mix with oil palm and apply on cuts made on the body with a razor blade | Medicinal | |
- Treats fractures: tie on the broken leg | Believed to be a strong animal | ||
Blood1 | - Treats eczema: apply on the infected part | Medicinal | |
Tortoise1 | - Sold to tradi-practitioners as it is believed to protects man against sorcerers | For money | |
Nile monitor Varanus niloticus | Skin2,3 (Figure 22) | - Making of drums | Durable, resistant, light, elastic and produces good sound |
- Decoration: hang in houses of Ekpe members | Denotes power | ||
Chest skin2 | - Making of drums | Solid | |
Rhinoceros horned viper Bitis nasicornis | Teeth1,4 | - Treats breast pains and induces flow of maternal milk: the breast is pierced several times with the tooth | Inherited traditional practice |
- Treats boyls : pierce the boyl with the tooth | Medicinal | ||
- Used as a blade | Inherited traditional practice | ||
Skull1,4 | - Protect man against sorcerers: grind and mix with oil palm and apply on cuts made on the body with a razor blade | Usually considered as a witchcraft animal | |
- Sold to Nigerians | For money | ||
Skin2 | - Making of drums | Durable, large, light, elastic and produces quality sound. Also, it does not contain fat | |
Head1 | - Dry and sell to tradi-practitioners and Nigerians | For money |