Ethnozoological Survey of Animal and Animal Products Used in Traditional Healing Practices in Sokoto State, Nigeria

Abstract

Nature has provided us with materials that are good sources of medicine. These materials derived from nature have been used by different societies across the world for treatment of various diseases.For example, plants,animalsand minerals substanceshave been extracted and prepared in various forms for treatment of diseases. Researches concerning the use of animals and their derivatives in traditioanal medicine has received very little attention, especially in the Northern Nigeria. Sokoto state is blessed with rich faunal resources yet the number of researches with regards to medicinal animals is very negligible compared to that of plants. With rapid increase in the population of our polygamous society (especially in the rural areas) which often find it difficult to access modern health care facilities, there is the need for complimentary folk medicine that would support local health care system. In the light of the above,animals / animal products used in traditional medicine by the indigenous people of Sokoto have been identified and documented through the use of unstructured questionnaire as the main instruments used for data collection. Six hundred (600) questionnaires were distributed to the surveyed population from different parts of the state. They include: herbalists, hunters, barbers, bone-setters, traditional mid-wives and fishermen. Percentage frequency and percentage fidelity level were used for data analysis. From the survey, twenty two (22) species of animals were found to be of medicinal value. Diseases such as rashes, toothache, nightblindness, mumps, cabuncle epistaxis, yellow fever, eczema, gastrointestinal disorders were found to be curable using these animals or their derivatives.

Keywords: Traditionl Healing, Zootherapy, Zootherapeutics, Ethnozoology