Ethnozoological Investigation of Traditional Knowledge Associated with Medicinal Animals in Sheka Zone Southwest Ethiopia

Abstract

History reported that human beings are familiar with the use of animals and plants for food, cloth, medicine, etc. In Ethiopia, many ethnic communities which are dispersed all over the country have been totally dependent on traditional medicine for their health care. Thus, this study aimed to document the ethno-zoological medicinal animals used by people and its threat to conservation in southwest Ethiopia. Data was collected through a questionnaire, focus group discussion and a semi structured questionnaire involving 56 purposively selected respondents. Based on the ethno-zoological survey, the scientific name of animals, animal parts/products used, mode of preparation and administration was recorded. A total of 39 animal species used in traditional zoo-therapeutics, i.e., 17 species of mammals, 7 species of birds and arthropod for each, 4 species of reptiles, 2 species of fish, 1 species of annelids and 1 species of Mollusca were recorded. These animals were used in 42 different medicinal purposes including rheumatism, malaria, bad sprit, headache, rabies, anemia, gastritis, asthma, paralysis, and cough. Furthermore, the Stingless bee (Trigona species) honey used to relieve asthma, migraine and headache had the highest FL (n=85% and the horn of Ox/cow to cure typhoid and the milk Camel (Camelus dromedaries) treat stomachache (n = 22%) have the lowest fidelity level. People of the study area gather different parts or products of animals such as milk, bone, visceral organ, meat, excreta and honey for the treatment of various ailments. These medicines are applied by massaging, eating, drinking, tying and fumigation. The highest ICF (0.85) value was obtained for diseases related Asthma, cough, sinusitis and the least one (0.72) was associated with Gastric, typhoid, malaria, amoeba, hepatitis, gonorrhea and rabies. The study also revealed that wild life hunting (29%), human wildlife conflict (23%), habitat loss and degradation (18%), sex biased animal selection for medicine (12%), migration of wild animals (11%) and animal diseases (7%) are threats for the conservation of medicinal animal in the study area. As such, this ethno-zoological practice may have a great effect on animal conservation. To minimize these effects, increasing awareness of traditional healers about the conservation of medicinal animals, organizing community-based conservation approaches, and the implementation of local and national conservation regulations must be regulated.