Aluk

Aluk is the leader of his swarm of long-toed treehawks. This species can be found in the tropical forests on Sulawesi, one of the bigger islands of Indonesia. This community lives in and around a single dracontomelon tree, where each ecological niche of the tree provides a stage for their unique way of life.

Their lives revolve around the nurturing, domesticating, and riding of the atlas beetles, Chalcosoma atlas. Amidst the buttress roots, carefully maintained beetle breeding grounds teem with life-sustaining rotting wood, ensuring harmony among the larvae. When the larvae undergo pupation, the pupae are brought up, measured, and sheltered in the tree trunk. The treehawks predominantly inhabit the upper part of the tree. The communal spaces are among the epiphytes and creeping vines. Daily life unfolds here: playful interactions, moments of nourishment, and rest.

On emergence day, a solemn ritual unfolds. The first rider in line has to go into the tree hole to imprint on his beetle emerging from the pupal stage. If their energies match, they’ll come out flying victoriously. On most days, you can see and hear the swarm loudly whirring about the treetops, hunting on the backs of the atlas beetles. This species has found an interesting method to integrate scorpion stingers into their javelins while keeping the poison glands intact. On ritual days, the experienced riders swap their lances for blunted ones. The ensuing jousts, cheered by the tribe perched among the branches, serve as a celebration intertwined with ancient traditions and skillful displays of prowess.