Ethnoveterinary Practices Related to Captive Elephants in Sauraha, Chitwan, Nepal
ABSTRACT The use of medicinal plants for treating animal diseases is a longstanding and widespread practice in Nepal, providing farmers with an accessible and cost‐effective option. This study aimed to document traditional knowledge regarding medicinal plants used to treat ailments in captive elepha...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Veterinary Medicine and Science |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/vms3.70435 |
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| author | Sachin Devkota Alok Dhakal Sher Bahadur Jethara Manish Chaudhary Rakesh Kumar Yadav Bijay Kumar Shrestha |
| author_facet | Sachin Devkota Alok Dhakal Sher Bahadur Jethara Manish Chaudhary Rakesh Kumar Yadav Bijay Kumar Shrestha |
| author_sort | Sachin Devkota |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT The use of medicinal plants for treating animal diseases is a longstanding and widespread practice in Nepal, providing farmers with an accessible and cost‐effective option. This study aimed to document traditional knowledge regarding medicinal plants used to treat ailments in captive elephants in Sauraha, Chitwan. A total of 56 mahouts, responsible for the care of privately and government‐owned captive elephants, were interviewed through face‐to‐face interactions. The study identified 42 plant species from 26 families used to treat 27 ailments in captive elephants. Among these, the Fabaceae family was the most dominant, followed by the Poaceae family. The most commonly used plant parts were leaves, bark, and seeds. Medicinal herbs were predominantly prepared in paste formulations (21 plant species), while raw formulations were used for 15 species. The oral route of administration was the most popular method of application. The highest citation frequencies were recorded for Azadirachta indica A. Juss, Brassica campestris L., and Trachyspermum ammi (L.) Sprague. These findings highlight the high level of knowledge among mahouts regarding elephant ailments and their treatment using herbal plants. Given the risk of its loss, this traditional knowledgemust be throughly documented. These findings could provide meaningful insights for treating diseases in other animal species, contributing significantly to the field of ethnoveterinary medicine. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-03c71e81821244b0b21a7f5d52c1922a |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2053-1095 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Veterinary Medicine and Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-03c71e81821244b0b21a7f5d52c1922a2025-08-20T02:50:09ZengWileyVeterinary Medicine and Science2053-10952025-07-01114n/an/a10.1002/vms3.70435Ethnoveterinary Practices Related to Captive Elephants in Sauraha, Chitwan, NepalSachin Devkota0Alok Dhakal1Sher Bahadur Jethara2Manish Chaudhary3Rakesh Kumar Yadav4Bijay Kumar Shrestha5Paklihawa Campus Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science Tribhuvan University, Rupandehi Bhairahawa NepalPaklihawa Campus Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science Tribhuvan University, Rupandehi Bhairahawa NepalPaklihawa Campus Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science Tribhuvan University, Rupandehi Bhairahawa NepalPaklihawa Campus Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science Tribhuvan University, Rupandehi Bhairahawa NepalPaklihawa Campus Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science Tribhuvan University, Rupandehi Bhairahawa NepalDepartment of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Senior Veterinary Officer Chitwan National Park Ministry of Forests and Environment Government of Nepal Sauraha NepalABSTRACT The use of medicinal plants for treating animal diseases is a longstanding and widespread practice in Nepal, providing farmers with an accessible and cost‐effective option. This study aimed to document traditional knowledge regarding medicinal plants used to treat ailments in captive elephants in Sauraha, Chitwan. A total of 56 mahouts, responsible for the care of privately and government‐owned captive elephants, were interviewed through face‐to‐face interactions. The study identified 42 plant species from 26 families used to treat 27 ailments in captive elephants. Among these, the Fabaceae family was the most dominant, followed by the Poaceae family. The most commonly used plant parts were leaves, bark, and seeds. Medicinal herbs were predominantly prepared in paste formulations (21 plant species), while raw formulations were used for 15 species. The oral route of administration was the most popular method of application. The highest citation frequencies were recorded for Azadirachta indica A. Juss, Brassica campestris L., and Trachyspermum ammi (L.) Sprague. These findings highlight the high level of knowledge among mahouts regarding elephant ailments and their treatment using herbal plants. Given the risk of its loss, this traditional knowledgemust be throughly documented. These findings could provide meaningful insights for treating diseases in other animal species, contributing significantly to the field of ethnoveterinary medicine.https://doi.org/10.1002/vms3.70435animal welfareantimicrobialscaptive elephantsethnoveterinary medicinelivestock |
| spellingShingle | Sachin Devkota Alok Dhakal Sher Bahadur Jethara Manish Chaudhary Rakesh Kumar Yadav Bijay Kumar Shrestha Ethnoveterinary Practices Related to Captive Elephants in Sauraha, Chitwan, Nepal Veterinary Medicine and Science animal welfare antimicrobials captive elephants ethnoveterinary medicine livestock |
| title | Ethnoveterinary Practices Related to Captive Elephants in Sauraha, Chitwan, Nepal |
| title_full | Ethnoveterinary Practices Related to Captive Elephants in Sauraha, Chitwan, Nepal |
| title_fullStr | Ethnoveterinary Practices Related to Captive Elephants in Sauraha, Chitwan, Nepal |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ethnoveterinary Practices Related to Captive Elephants in Sauraha, Chitwan, Nepal |
| title_short | Ethnoveterinary Practices Related to Captive Elephants in Sauraha, Chitwan, Nepal |
| title_sort | ethnoveterinary practices related to captive elephants in sauraha chitwan nepal |
| topic | animal welfare antimicrobials captive elephants ethnoveterinary medicine livestock |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/vms3.70435 |
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