Animals and their products utilized as medicines by the inhabitants surrounding the Ranthambhore National Park, India

Abstract

The present ethnozoological study describes the traditional knowledge related to the use of different animals and animal-derived products as medicines by the inhabitants of villages surrounding the Ranthambhore National Park of India (Bawaria, Mogya, Meena), which is well known for its very rich biodiversity. The field survey was conducted from May to July 2005 by performing interviews through structured questionnaires with 24 informants (16 men and 8 women), who provided information regarding therapeutic uses of animals. A total of 15 animals and animal products were recorded and they are used for different ethnomedical purposes, including tuberculosis, asthma, paralysis, jaundice, earache, constipation, weakness, snake poisoning. The zootherapeutic knowledge was mostly based on domestic animals, but some protected species like the collared dove (Streptopelia sp.), hard shelled turtle (Kachuga tentoria), sambhar (Cervus unicolor) were also mentioned as important medicinal resources. We would suggest that this kind of neglected traditional knowledge should be included into the strategies of conservation and management of faunistic resources in the investigated area.

Traditional knowledge on zootherapeutic uses by the Saharia tribe of Rajasthan, India

“…Gupta Leena et al inventoried 34 animal species used as remedies in the kachchh of Gujarat [20], Solvan A et al reported the use of 26 animal species by Kanikar, Paliyar tribe of Taminadu [10], Jamir N S et al reported the use of 26 species by the Naga tribe of Nagaland [16], Kakati L N et al identified 25 species used by Ao tribe of Nagaland [24]and Mahawar and Jaroli reported the use of 15 species by the Mogya, Meena, Bawaria of Rajasthan [22]. …”

“…Solavan A et al carried out a study among nine tribes spread over four districts of Tamil Nadu, India and identified the traditional therapeutic uses of sixteen different animal's species, consisting of mammals (6), birds (5), reptiles (2), arthropods (2) and annelid (1), for the treatment of over 17 kinds of ailments [10]. Mahawar and Jaroli carried out a study among the inhabitants, whose are living surrounding the Ranthambhore National Park, India and identified a total of 15 animals were used comprising 20 therapeutic purposes [22]. The Chakhesang tribe of Nagaland also uses twelve mammals, one bird, one reptile, two amphibians, one fish, one mollusk, one annelid and four arthropods for treatment of various ailments [23].…”

Reptiles used in traditional folk medicine: conservation implications

“…The sources analyzed were: Branch and Silva (1983), Begossi (1992), Begossi and Braga (1992), Donadio and Gallardo (1984), Figueiredo (1994), China National Corporation of Traditional and Herbal Medicine (1995), Marques (1995), Freire (1996), Costa-Neto (1996, 1999a, b, c, d, 2000a, b, c, 2001, SEMARNAP-PROFEPA (1998), Begossi et al (1999), Sodeinde and Soewu (1999), Chen et al (2000), El-Kamali (2000), Seixas and Begossi (2001), Almeida and Albuquerque (2002), CITES (2002), Kakati and Doulo (2002), Apaza et al (2003), Lev (2003), Fitzgerald et al (2004), Silva et al (2004), Almeida (2005), Andrade and Costa-Neto (2005), Costa-Neto and Pacheco (2005), Smart et al (2005), Walston (2005), Alakbarli (2006), Alves (2006), Alves andRosa (2006, 2007b, c), 1 C Alves et al (2007a, b), Ives (2006), Kakati et al (2006), Mahawar andJaroli (2006), Vázquez et al (2006), Alves and Pereira-Filho (2007), Barzyk (2007), Dharmananda (2007a,b), El Din (2007, Negi andPa...…”

“…Reptiles are among the animal species most frequently used in traditional folk medicine, and their role in folk practices related to the healing and/or prevention of illnesses has been recorded in diVerent social-cultural contexts throughout the world (Zhou and Jiang 2004;Alves andRosa 2006, 2007b, c;Mahawar and Jaroli 2006;Vazquez et al 2006;Alves and Pereira-Filho 2007).…”

A quantitative ethnozoological study of traditionally used animals in Pachamalai hills of Tamil Nadu, India

“…Indeed, previous studies have shown that some of these animal species were used to treat ailments in other parts of the India. For example in Theni district Sus scrofa domesticus is used for the ear ache (Chellappandian et al, 2014) and also Apis indica is being used for eye disease (Mahawar and Jaroli, 2006). Animal species with low FL for instance L. punctata (FL 7.9%) which is used to treat diseases during the postpartum period should not be neglected so as to reduce the risk of gradual disappearance of the knowledge for the future generation.…”