Extent and Awareness to Use Animals for Traditional Medicine and Attitudes towards Ethnozoological Knowledge among Communities of Menz Keya Gabriel District, North Ethiopia

Abstract

Traditional medicinal knowledge has played an important role in identifying living organisms that are endowed with medicinal values for treating human and livestock health problems. This study explores the existing extent and awareness to use animals for traditional medicine and attitudes towards ethnozoological knowledge among communities of Menz Keya Gabriel District, North Ethiopia. The data were collected through questionnaires and interviews from three selected kebeles of the district with 70 respondents. The majority (88.6%) of the local people knew animals that were used as traditional medicine for human and animal disease. Also, local people enforced the use of animals for traditional medicines due to different reasons such as economical reasons (30%), effectiveness (24.3%), sociocultural reason (20%), insufficient or lack of modern medicine (14.3%) and availability and accessibility of medicinal animals around the area (11.4%). Most respondents perceived that traditional medicinal animals are used sometimes (38.6%), while 35.7% and 25.7% use in situational and always manner, respectively. The main threat for medicinal animals in the area arises from habitat loss due to agricultural expansion, firewood and charcoal production. Whereas threats that erode and put the continuity under the question of ethnozoological knowledge emanate from the disinterest of the young generation, and unwillingness, secrecy and oral-based knowledge transfer of healers. Therefore, to avoid erosion of this knowledge and to sustain animals, awareness creation should be given to healers and local people. Further biological researches on medicinal animals should also be conducted.

Ethnozoological scatology: A situational report on the utilization of animal excrement in traditional medicine in Ghana

“…Generally, as a person ages, their disease burdens and their spiritual realization increase and this might account for the increasing desire to use animal excrement with those above 50 years being the top most users. The in uence of the sector of employment and the educational status on the use of traditional medicine has been reported by several authors [27,[40][41][42]. Ameade et al, (2024) also reported the in uence of religious a liation on the use of traditional medicine and this has also been re ected in the signi cantly greater desire of followers of Traditional African Religion to patronise animal excrement for traditional medicine [42].…”

The Role of Rural Women’s Occupations on Electrification and Use of Electric Stoves for Households in Busega District, Tanzania

“…The headquarters of this district is Nyashimo town. Busega District was selected as among the areas in the country that has been deforested due to the use of firewood (Hailemariam and Mekonen, 2021;Rugeiyamu, Shayo, Kashonda & Mohamed, 2021). Rural women are struggling to fetch firewood for cooking despite the availability of modern appliances capable to reduce the workload in their households.…”