Traditional Use of Wild and Domestic Fauna among Different Ethnic Groups in the Western Himalayas-A Cross Cultural Analysis

Simple Summary In traditional medicinal systems, animals play an essential role in treating health issues (zoo therapy) as different body parts are used to treat different diseases. Meanwhile, local traditional knowledge (TK) is an important aspect of cultural legacy that can depict the relationship between communities and nature. Recently ethnobiologists have focused on cross-cultural research in order to document and measure the processes that govern the evolution of traditional knowledge within a culture, as well as to use it in the future. In the present study, we documented ethnozoological knowledge across eight ethnic groups in the Jammu and Kashmir Himalayas. Comparative analysis indicated that Balti and Brokapa were more closely related groups due to high overlap (N = 7) of the use of medicinal species. A total of thirteen idiosyncratic species were recorded for the Kashmiri ethnic group, followed by two idiosyncratic species (Anser indicus, Perdix hodgsoniae) for Balti and two idiosyncratic species (Capra aegagrus hircus, Cuon alpinus) for Changapa. The Pearson correlation coefficient supported the strength and direction of a link between ethnic groups and regions. Cluster analyses revealed two primary clusters of the 79 animal species recorded for eight ethnozoological uses based on fauna similarity. Furthermore, all ethnic groups primarily used the fauna for medicinal and food purposes. Chest infections were frequently treated by the maximum number of species (N = 9), followed by paralysis by seven species. The current ethnozoological study provides needed information such as cross-cultural traditional knowledge of medicine, food, and religious value; combining ethnic knowledge with a scientific approach can make a significant contribution to the long-term development of native communities. Animal-derived products have an important role in treating many health conditions and have widely been used across cultures. In South Asia, ethnozoological research has been conducted only by a small number of researchers. Therefore, this area of research needs further exploration in order to preserve the eroding ethnozoological knowledge of medicinal animals severely affected by ongoing social change. This study was conducted in the region of Jammu and Kashmir from February 2019 to August 2021. The study was carried out among eight different ethnic groups living in the region. A total of 374 informants were selected and data were collected through semi-structured interviews and verified through group discussions. Data was analyzed using different statistical tools, including R 4.0.0. The cross-cultural data were compared through Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Genomics software and later subjected to further analysis, applying Pearson correlation and ordination techniques (Principal Component Analysis). We recorded a total of 79 animal species being used by the eight studied ethnic groups in the region. Wild animal species were mainly used for therapeutic purposes. Chest infections, sexual problems, and paralysis were frequently treated diseases. Flesh was the most commonly part used. The cross-cultural comparison showed a remarkable heterogeneity in the use of the animals among the different groups, which could be an effect to the historical sociocultural stratifications, as well as different religious affiliation of certain groups preventing them to forage or hunt certain animals. Some groups however showed prominent overlap of uses of some recorded species. For instance, Lerwalerwa and Bubalus bubalis were commonly used by both Gujjar and Pahari, which could be referred to the fact that they have gone through significant socio-cultural contact, and they are exogamous to each other. The Pearson correlation coefficient supported the strength and direction of an association between ethnic groups and regions. The study makes an important contribution to the field of ethnozoology in the Himalayas by providing insights to understand the historical human and nature relationships and supplying a baseline for developing future conservation efforts in the region to protect the wild fauna