Traditional medicinal animal use by Xhosa and Sotho communities in the Western Cape Province, South Africa
Date
2019-07-09
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
BMC (part of Springer Nature)
Abstract
Background: The use of animals and animal-derived materials in traditional medicine constitutes an important part of
the belief systems of indigenous African cultures. It is believed to be rapidly expanding in South Africa, where
traditional healers are estimated to outnumber western doctors by 2000:1 in some areas, with an overall clientele
consisting of 60–80% of South African citizens. Despite concerns about the impact of the trade in traditional medicine
on biodiversity, there has been only limited research on this topic in South Africa.
Methods: Traditional Xhosa and Sotho healers operating from impoverished, rural communities in the Boland Region
of the Western Cape Province were consulted to provide a comprehensive inventory of the number and frequency of
animals used and sold. Species richness estimators, diversity indices, and a relative cultural importance (RCI) index were
used to highlight species of concern and assess market dynamics.
Results: A total of 26 broad use categories for 12 types of animal parts or products from 71 species or morphospecies
were recorded. The most commonly sold items were skin pieces, oil or fat, and bones. Results showed that leopard,
chacma baboon, Cape porcupine, monitor lizard species, puff adder, African rock python, and black-backed jackal were
the species most used in the traditional medicinal trade.
Conclusions: This study extends existing knowledge on the trade of animals in South African healing practices and
provides the first attempt in the Western Cape to quantify wildlife use for cultural traditions. The results have relevance
for setting conservation priorities and may assist in effective policy development inclusive of ecological sustainability
priorities, as well as cultural demands.
Description
CITATION: Nieman, W. A., Leslie, A. J. & Wilkinson, A. 2019. Traditional medicinal animal use by Xhosa and Sotho communities in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 15:34, doi:10.1186/s13002-019-0311-6.
The original publication is available at https://ethnobiomed.biomedcentral.com
The original publication is available at https://ethnobiomed.biomedcentral.com
Keywords
Traditional veterinary medicine, Traditional medicine -- South Africa, Ethnozoology, Ethnopharmacology
Citation
Nieman, W. A., Leslie, A. J. & Wilkinson, A. 2019. Traditional medicinal animal use by Xhosa and Sotho communities in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 15:34, doi:10.1186/s13002-019-0311-6