Medicinal use of animals by hunters in North eastern Brazil

Abstract

Animals (and their by-products) are used worldwide in the preparation of many traditional medicines. Despite this, research on medicinal use of animals is still neglected in comparison to studies on medicinal plants. This paper documents the medicinal use of animals by hunters residing in rural communities in the semiarid region (Caatinga) of Brazil. A total of 117 hunters provided information about the animal species used, body parts useful for preparing remedies and which diseases are treated with animal-based remedies. The ‘Informant Consensus Factor’ and ‘Use Value - Current / Potential’ were calculated to determine the consensus on which species are effective in treating specific diseases, and to measure hunting pressure on each species. The medicinal use of 39 animal species was registered, which were indicated to cure 46 ailments. The local medicinal fauna is largely based on wildlife, including endangered species. The high number of animals used by hunters makes it possible to conclude that any conservation strategy should include, in addition to an environmental approach, access to modern healthcare.