Exploring Traditional Veterinary Practices from Gujjar and Bakarwal Tribes of District Poonch, Jammu & Kashmir: A Boon for Animals from Our Ancestors

Abstract

Background: Gujjar and Bakarwal tribal communities are a treasure trove of traditional veterinary knowledge as they have been using plants to keep their livestock healthy and free from diseases. However, this knowledge is getting diminished day by day due to several factors. The present study was aimed to survey and document the medicinal plants used traditionally by the tribal communities of Gujjar and Bakarwal in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), India to treat various livestock ailments.Methods: A systematic and extensive ethnobotanical survey was conducted in 12 villages of district Poonch between July 2018-March 2020. Data was gathered from the tribals using semi-structured questionnaires and analysed quantitatively using use-value(UV), relative frequency of citation (RFC), informant consensus factor (ICF) and fidelity level (FL).Results: A total of 31 medicinal plant species belonging to 24 families of 30 genera with herbs as the dominantly used plant species (70.97%). The most commonly used plant part in the herbal preparations was root (35.14%) and leaf (32.43%) with oral administration as the mode. Consensus methodology has been used as a statistical tool to identify the most potentially effective medicinal plant species. Use-value and Relative frequency of citation were reported to be in the range of 0.03-0.72 and 0.03-0.48 respectively. Based on values, Rumex nepalensis was found to be the most important and dominant species used by the tribes. The reported Informant consensus factor value was found to be very high (0.81-1.00) thereby establishing more authenticity of the study. Maximum number of plant species (10 spp.) were used to treat the gynaecological/ andrological problems.Conclusion: In the present study, novel ethnoveterinary use for seven plant species viz., Aconitum violaceum, Arisaema jacquemontii, Bistorta amplexicaulis, Clematis grata, Ranunculus bulbosus, Ulmus villosa and Viburnum grandiflorum were recorded. The reported information can be used to standardize active principles which can further lead to the development of more efficient veterinary medicines.

The ethnic diversities in animal-human interactions in former Jammu and Kashmir State- India

“…Species like sheep, goat and cow are used for milk and often meat, at the same time these species are sold for money. Dutta et al (2021) also reported the dependence of Bakarwal on livestock and lack of modern conveniences. In Jammu and Kashmir, this tribe migrates seasonally from Jammu province to Kashmir and vice versa to avoid unavailability of feed and to protect from the harsh climate.…”

“…The present study documented only natural feeding sources as commercial feeds are expensive, and the local population believes that the use of natural herbs keeps animal species healthy and protects them from various diseases. Different studies from the Jammu and Kashmir have reported the use of medicinal herbs for the wellbeing of livestock (Dutta et al 2021;Dar et al 2018) For winter, when the vegetation is dormant the farmers make use of hay, dried tree leaves, etc., which are processed in autumn.…”