Ethnozoological study of traditional medicinal appreciation of animals and their products among the indigenous people of
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RESEARCH
Open Access
Ethnozoological study of traditional medicinal appreciation of animals and their products among the indigenous people of Metema Woreda, North-Western Ethiopia Fasil Adugna Kendie*, Sileshi Andualem Mekuriaw and Melkamu Andargie Dagnew
Abstract Background: Using animals for different purposes goes back to the dawn of mankind. Animals served as a source of food, medicine, and clothing for humans and provided other services. This study was designed to undertake a cross-sectional ethnozoological field survey among the residents of Metema Woreda from November 2015 to May 2016. Methods: Data were collected through studied questionnaires, interviews, and focus group discussions with 36 purposively selected respondents. Results: Ethnozoological data were collected of the local name of the animals, part of the animal used, mode of preparation and administration, and of additional information deemed useful. A total of 51 animal species were identified to treat around 36 different ailments. Of the animals used therapeutically, 27 species were mammals, 9 were birds, 7 arthropods, 6 reptiles, and 1 species each represented fish and annelids. Furthermore, the honey of the bee Apis mellifera was used to relieve many ailments and scored the highest fidelity value (n = 35.97%). The snake (Naja naja) and the teeth of crocodiles (Crocodylus spp.) had the lowest fidelity value (n = 2.56%). Conclusion: The results show that there is a wealth of ethnozoological knowledge to be documented which could be of use in developing new drugs. Hence, it is hoped that the information contained in this paper will be useful in future ethnozoological, ethnopharmacological, and conservation-related research of the region. Keywords: Traditional medicine, Indigenous knowledge, Ethnozoology, Zootherapy
Background Using animals for different purposes goes back to the dawn of mankind. Animals served as a source of food, medicine, and clothing for humans and provided other services [1]. The traditional medicinal knowledge of indigenous people across the globe has played an important role in identifying living organisms which are endowed with medicinal values important for treating human and livestock health problems. Since ancient times, animals and their products have been used in the preparation of traditional remedies in various cultures [2]. Human societies have accumulated a vast store of knowledge about animals through the centuries, * Correspondence: [email protected] Department of Biology, College of Science, Bahir Dar University, P.O. Box 79, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
which is closely integrated with many other cultural aspects, and this zoological knowledge is an important part of our human cultural heritage [3]. The cure for human ailments using therapeutics from animals is known as zootherapy [4]. It plays a significant role in the healing practices, magic rituals, and religious societies all over the world [5, 6]. In the modern era, zootherapy constitutes a major alternative among many other known therapeutic practices i
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