The Malo are a small ethnic group in southwestern Ethiopia with a population of more than 100,000. Living in a mountainous area at an elevation of 1,000 to 3,000 meters above sea level, they mainly engage in subsistence farming, growing more than 100 crop species. Recent research has revealed significant differences in the relationships between people and wild animals. People in the lowlands hunt wild animals by trapping during the dry season. When they find prey caught in a trap, they first call out to acquaintances and head to the site to kill it. There, they butcher it, make jerky, and bring it back to their village. They also catch and eat river fish. However, in the highlands, practices such as consuming game meat or fish are largely absent; in fact, most residents have never eaten wild animal products. Even when wild animals raid crops, those captured are not consumed but, instead, given to artisan groups. Although the population shares a common ethnic identity, dietary norms have diverged due to contrasting living environments. Wild fauna remain relatively abundant in the sparsely populated lowlands, while they are scarce in the densely settled highlands. According to living people's memories, these environmental differences appear to have evolved over the past half century or so as the population in the highlands has increased. While anthropology offers extensive research on food taboos, there appears to be limited discussion on how recent environmental shifts influence food codes. Traditional hunting persists in the lowlands, yet in the highlands, both hunting and the consumption of wild game are increasingly avoided along with the population growth and fauna decrease. These behavioural differences seem rooted in evolving perceptions of nature among highland communities.