BACKGROUND: An ethnozoological study of medicinal animals in the Kucha district, Gamo zone, Southern Ethiopia, was conducted to investigate and document the use of traditional medicinal animals and the associated indigenous knowledge. Tribal people still make abundant use of animals and their parts to manage diseases in humans and even livestock.
METHODS: A cross sectional study design and purposively sampling techniques were used. Data were collected from 132 respondents based on semi structured questionnaires. Focus group discussions (FGD) and Key informant interviews (KII) were conducted; Fidelity level (FL), Relative frequency of citation (RFC) and Informants\' consensus factor (ICF) were used to analyze species preference and importance.
RESULTS: A total of 24 medicinal animals were identified with 13 species (54.2%) being mammals of which 5 species (20.8%) dominated. They were followed by arthropods, reptiles and fishes. Seven out of the total were domestic species (29%) and 17 (70%) were wild animals. The majority of these animals, i.e. 22 (91.7%), were used to treat human ailments; whereas 2 (8.3%) were used to treat livestock ailments. The ICF values varied from 0.8 to 1.The highest FL value (98%) was linked to the cow (cattle), the lowest (1.5%) to the scorpion. The RFC value (1.0) was highest for the cow and lowest (0.02) for the scorpion. Honey, milk, and butter were the most commonly used therapeutic animal products, but regarding direct uses, fresh/raw meat dominated. Out of ten ailment categories, headaches had the lowest ICF value (0.8). All others scored at least 0.9.
CONCLUSIONS: In rural areas, sick people often do not only have limited access to modern medical facilities, they actually prefer traditional treatments considering them to be more reliable and effective. It is therefore important to focus on documenting, conserving, and safeguarding the indigenous knowledge so that strategies to manage the traditional wisdom can be implemented in the future. To achieve these goals, it is important to make sure that medicinal animal species are available in sufficient numbers and neither threatened by habitat changes or overexploitation.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.1043155.].

The banded langur (Presbytis femoralis) is a critically endangered primate, restricted to Johor, Malaysia, with an estimated population size of less than 500 individuals. Traditionally, distribution studies on this highly threatened primate have relied on conventional methods such as DNA identification, live counting, and camera trapping. However, ethnoprimatology offers an alternative approach to data collection, involving the active participation of indigenous and local communities possessing valuable knowledge and experience with local primate species. This study employed an integrated approach incorporating ethnoprimatology by utilizing pooled local expert opinion, local surveys, interviews, and fecal DNA analysis, resulting in a novel distribution range for the banded langur. The combination of expert opinions revealed this species\' most optimistic distribution scenario across Johor and Pahang, inhabiting various ecosystems, including lowland forests, peat swamps, and human-modified landscapes. Further interviews and surveys conducted within the Orang Asli community in Tasik Chini and Tasek Bera have provided additional support for the revised distribution, documenting occurrences of banded langur utilization in indigenous practices, such as food consumption, cultural beliefs, medicinal applications, and craftsmanship. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated genetic differentiation between populations in Johor and Pahang, with the populations in the southern part of Peninsular Malaysia likely serving as ancestral sources for other populations. Consequently, this study not only elucidated the updated distribution of banded langur through DNA records and direct observations but also established the efficacy of ethnoprimatology as a precursory tool for uncovering the present distribution patterns of other primate species in Malaysia.

UNASSIGNED: The utilization of fauna and fauna-based byproducts in ethnomedicinal usages has been a longstanding human activity, practiced across various cultures worldwide. This study focuses on investigating the utilization of animal-based traditional medicine by the people of Pakistan, specifically in the Gujranwala area.
UNASSIGNED: Data collection took place from January to September 2019 through interviews with local communities. Ethnomedicinal applications of animal products were analyzed using several indices, including Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC), Relative Popularity Level (RPL), Folk Use Value (FL), and Relative Occurrence Percentage (ROP).
UNASSIGNED: The study identified the use of different body parts of 54 species of animals in treating various diseases and health issues. These include but are not limited to skin infections, sexual problems, pain management (e.g., in the backbone and joints), eyesight issues, immunity enhancement, cold, weakness, burns, smallpox, wounds, poisoning, muscular pain, arthritis, diabetes, fever, epilepsy, allergies, asthma, herpes, ear pain, paralysis, cough, swelling, cancer, bronchitis, girls\' maturity, and stomach-related problems. Certain species of fauna were noted by informers with high \"frequency of citation\" (FC), ranging from 1 to 77. For instance, the black cobra was the most frequently cited animal for eyesight issues (FC = 77), followed by the domestic rabbit for burn treatment (FC = 67), and the Indus Valley spiny-tailed ground lizard for sexual problems (FC = 66). Passer domesticus and Gallus gallus were noted to have the highest ROP value of 99.
UNASSIGNED: The findings of this study provide valuable preliminary insights for the conservation of fauna in the Gujranwala region of Punjab, Pakistan. Additionally, screening these animals for medicinally active compounds could potentially lead to the development of novel animal-based medications, contributing to both traditional medicine preservation and modern pharmaceutical advancements.

BACKGROUND: Bushmeat is a resource exploited by thousands of people around the world, especially in tropical and neotropical regions, constituting an important source of protein and income. But what is known, so far, about the consumption and trade of wild vertebrate meat (hereinafter \"bushmeat\") in a megadiverse country like Brazil? This question was answered through a systematic survey of publications on the consumption and trade of wild vertebrate meat made in Brazil between 2011 and 2021.
METHODS: We selected 63 scientific articles available on \"Google Scholar,\" \"Science Direct,\" \"Scopus,\" \" Web of Science\" and \"Portal de Periódico da CAPES.\" The articles were categorized as: exclusive to (1) consumption or (2) bushmeat trade, totals of 54 and three articles, respectively; both (3) consumption and trade bushmeat, totaling six articles. We applied a nonparametric Spearman\'s correlation analysis to verify the association between the number of papers and the species richness of wild vertebrates cited for consumption by Brazilian state.
RESULTS: The results revealed that the publications were concentrated in the Northeast (36), North (26) and Southeast (1) regions, distributed across 16 states of the federation. These data reinforce the need for more researches in states and other regions of the country. Our research hypothesis was confirmed, since the richness of species cited for meat consumption was positively associated with the amount of work carried out by the states of the federation. We identified a total of 321 species of wild vertebrates mentioned in the categories involving the consumption of bushmeat. We had a greater bird species richness mentioned for consumption (170) to the detriment of mammals (107), reptiles (40) and amphibians (4). Furthermore, in the articles involving the bushmeat trade categories we had 57 species of vertebrates mentioned, with mammals being the most representative in terms of species richness (29), to the detriment of birds (20) and reptiles (8). These data reinforce that birds and mammals have been the groups most used both for consumption and trade in bushmeat in the country\'s regions, and it is necessary to mitigate the hunting exploitation of these groups. We recorded that socioeconomic, biological, environmental and sociocultural factors were the most cited predictors of the consumption and trade of bushmeat in the articles. We identified that the bushmeat trade chain is dynamic and ramified, made up of several actors, including specialized and diversified hunters, intermediaries, market sellers, market vendors, restaurant owners and final customers. Public markets and open-air fairs were the most cited places for buying and selling wild meat in commerce.
CONCLUSIONS: In general, our results indicate that we have made significant advances in publications on the consumption and trade of bushmeat in Brazil over the last few years. However, we highlight the need to better understand the patterns of consumption and trade of bushmeat in different regions of the country, as well as the factors associated with the dynamics of the trade chain and uses of wildlife by local communities. We emphasized that a multidimensional understanding of hunting activities is important to face socio-ecological problems and improve the conservation of target species which have continually been explored for uses by populations in different regions of the world.

The description of natural history, and information on the factors threatening conservation, the distribution area, and the status of species population are necessary for proper wildlife management. The objective of this research was to generate such information in two rural communities and to engage residents in bighorn sheep management through a program of three workshops. The first one covered training regarding natural history and management of the species. The second one consisted in the description of the habitat of the species through a dynamic of participatory mapping. The third, include a design of a one strategy to monitor the bighorn sheep population. The workshops were attended by 37 people from the two rural communities. The results suggest the economic element was the main interest of the inhabitants regarding the bighorn sheep. Eleven risk factors were identified to the bighorn sheep in the study sites, a participatory map with relevant information for the management of the species on each community was developed, and a monitoring strategy of the bighorn sheep population was prepared. The workshop program proposed in this research is a tool that can be applied in rural communities to lay the groundwork for a long-term management project of wildlife species.

BACKGROUND: Reptiles are considered one of the most popular pets in the world and are often associated with an incorrect belief that they are simple, highly adaptable, and easy to keep animals when compared with other pets, such as dogs and cats. However, keeping reptiles as pets can pose several challenges in meeting their needs in a domestic setting, requiring specific conditions and effort to maintain their health, well-being, and survival.
METHODS: During 2015, using online semi-structured questionnaires applied to 719 Brazilian pet reptile keepers who participated in online groups of reptile breeders on the social network Facebook, this study aimed to identify Brazilian keepers\' motivations for maintaining reptiles as pets, investigate their monthly expenses, and the husbandry practices for the maintenance, such as housing and feeding conditions, handling of the animal, health issues, and treatment provided.
RESULTS: We found multiple motivations for keeping reptiles as pets (mostly snakes, lizards, and chelonians), the main motivation being emotional reasons, followed by entertainment and convenience reasons. The great majority of keepers (69%) declared to spend less than or up to US$30 per month in maintaining their reptiles. Most reptiles were kept alone in terrarium/aquarium enclosures, with basic environmental complexity in terms of physical elements. Lizards and chelonians were fed with a few insect species, cultivated fruits and vegetables, while snakes were fed mainly with domestic rodents, rabbits, or birds. Keepers declared frequent cleaning of the enclosure, but inappropriately handled their animals directly with their hands, which might result in potential threats to human and reptile health and safety. Several diseases or injuries were mentioned and 55.6% of the keepers declared taking the reptile to the vet for treatment.
CONCLUSIONS: Overall, our findings revealed several challenges that reptiles face when kept in domestic environments, including issues related to housing, nutrition, and healthcare. Even though keepers demonstrated positive feelings toward their pets, suggesting a positive relationship and a willingness to provide them with proper care, it seems that without the proper knowledge and awareness, reptiles may unintentionally be kept with poor husbandry. Addressing these challenges on husbandry practices is essential for improving reptiles\' welfare and promoting a responsible pet ownership.

Ethiopia is one of the countries with richest fauna used for medicinal purpose. The Jimma Arjo community has knowledge and practice of utilizing this medicinal animal for treatment of human and animal ailments.
The objective of this research is to assess animals and their products used for treatment of human and animal ailment METHODS: A cross-sectional ethnozoological survey was conducted using a semi structured questionnaire among purposively selected traditional healers resided in Jimma Arjo district. The data collected was entered in Microsoft excel spread sheet and analysed using SPSS statistical software. Fidelity level (FL), use value and informant consensus factor was determined.
A total of 33 animal species was found to be used for treating 40 human ailments and different livestock disease confirmed by 36 informants of different ages, sexes and educational backgrounds. The majority of animals (63.63%) were mammals followed by birds (15.15%). Most of the respondents were male, married and aged 55 years and above. Most of the healers learn ethnozoological practice from the father (36.11%) followed by mother (19.44%). The traditional practice is accepted by (72.22%) of the community where 61.11% of the healers are not willing to transfer their knowledge to other. For most of the healers, the reason to practice traditional healing was for treating one\'s own family or animals (41.67%). The FL was found 100% for honey from Apis mellifera and Trigona spp. for asthma, Cynopterus sphinx for viral skin disease and Crocuta crocuta for bad sprit treatment. In this study, honey from A. mellifera, Hystrix cristata and Sus scrofa domesticus were reported to cure different ailments.
This study indicated wide use of medicinal animals and their products which could be used as an alternative and complementary medicine or a basis for in developing new drugs because the existing drugs especially antimicrobials are under threat due to the development of resistance by microbes.

BACKGROUND: The origin of different human emotions directed towards animals (whether in the utilitarian, affective, conflictual, or cosmological context) is strongly influenced by sociocultural factors, although our genetic predispositions also play an important role in the origin of these emotions. Such emotions guide people\'s representations of different species, which in turn affect their attitudes toward them. For this reason, understanding the factors that guide such attitudes becomes a key element in making conservationist decisions. In this sense, the main objective of this study was to analyze how sociocultural characteristics and bioecological representations can influence students\' attitudes of empathy or antipathy towards vertebrate species; as well as which classes and species are related to greater and lesser support in people for their conservation.
METHODS: To do so, 667 interviews were conducted with students from urban (n = 1) and rural (n = 2) schools in the Brazilian semi-arid region. We used mixed generalized linear models (GLMM) to examine the effect of social factors and bioecological representations on empathy and antipathy attitudes and multiple factor analysis (MFA) to examine the relationship between the biological characteristics of the animals (positive or negative) and the attitudes toward them (antipathetic or empathetic).
RESULTS: Through GLMM, we found that students from the urban area and from lower school levels are more extreme in their responses, more frequently expressing both empathy and antipathy towards wild animals. Regarding gender, women had a higher frequency of responses associated with aversion than men for species perceived as dangerous and poisonous (p < 0.001). Through the MFA, we found greater support (empathy) for the conservation of fish species (31.56%), birds (29.37%) and mammals (25.94%), with emphasis on the Red-cowled cardinal (Paroaria dominicana) and clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) species, and less support (antipathy) for reptile and amphibian species such as rattlesnakes (Crotalus durissus) and horned frogs (Ceratophrys joazeirensis).
CONCLUSIONS: The attitudinal ambivalence reflected by varying empathy for certain species and antipathy to others has important implications for wildlife conservation. Understanding the socioeconomic factors and emotions that influence attitudes towards animals can enable integrating educational strategies for the conservation of species, especially those which are culturally important.

BACKGROUND: The huillín (Lontra provocax, Thomas 1908) is an otter, endemic to southern Argentina and Chile. It is in danger of extinction. In the Nahuel Huapi National Park and surroundings is the only freshwater, known and stable population of huillín in Argentina. In this park, several urban and rural centers coexist with this species. The main objective of our work was to answer: How does the local zoological knowledge (LZK) vary about the huillín, particularly its identification and sighting, among people from different social groups, with different ages and gender, who live in the rural or urban environment and with different periods of permanence in the place?
METHODS: Ninety-six written interviews were conducted using visual stimuli to ensure that interviewees refer to the huillín. In addition, we also inquire about the LZK of other species with which it can be confused. Additional open interviews were conducted with participants who observed the huillín to determine the georeferencing of the reported sites and include them on a final map.
RESULTS: 95% of people identified the huillín and this was confused with the coipo in 3% and with the american mink, in 5%. The results show that, in general, the LZK did not vary significantly with the sociocultural characteristics of the participants, showing a remarkable homogeneity. However, people in rural areas are more likely to observe the species than people in urban areas. Moreover, people between 20 and 40 years of age are more likely to observe the huillín. The LZK mapping has identified areas that are consistent with and/or adjacent to official source records. Other areas have also been identified that may provide new information.
CONCLUSIONS: With this participatory work, we realize that the species is recognized by urban and rural inhabitants and very few confused it. The homogeneity in the LZK found constitutes a kick for the realization of other participatory studies that promote lines of research, action and management that improve the quality of the environments where the only freshwater, known and stable population of the huillín in Argentina lives.