Ethnozoological Survey of the Indigenous Knowledge on the Use of Pangolins (Manis Sps) in Traditional Medicine in Lentsweletau Extended Area in Botswana.

Abstract

Animals have played an important role in human life from prehistory. Many animals are used in zootherapy worldwide. However, the zootherapeutic practices by some communities are not well documented and may be forgotten. An ethnozoological study to document indigenous knowledge on the utilisation of pangolins in traditional medicine in Lentsweletau area in Botswana was carried out. A formal questionnaire was administered to 37 informants. The informants were 70.27% males and 29.73% females. The 10.81% of the informants were traditional doctors. Only 67.57% of the informants knew pangolins. The study revealed that most of the informants currently under the age of forty years did not know pangolins. However, the community had several pangolin myths. Pangolins were used mainly in traditional medicine (79.41%) and rarely as bush meat (20.59%) in the past. The study showed that different body parts of pangolins were used as charms and in the treatment of various human ailments like cracked heels, epistaxis, hypertension and psoriasis. The commonly used parts in the treatment of human ailments were blood and scales. Tail, head, paws and whole body were mainly used in charms. Scales were used in both ailments’ treatment and in charms. It is evident that the indigenous knowledge on uses of pangolins is fading in the community hence the need for its documentation so that it can be preserved.