Zootherapy and rural livestock farmers in semiarid Patagonia: the transfer of animal aptitudes for health

LADIO A H; CASTILLO, LUCÍA

Ethnobiology and Conservation

Ethnobiology and Conservation

Lugar: Recife; Año: 2018

This work investigates the therapeutic value of animals to rural farmers who live on the centralplateau of Chubut, Argentina. Open and in­depth interviews were carried out with 35 ruralfarmers from Sierra Rosada, Sierra Ventana, El Escorial and Telsen. A total of 16 biologicalspecies (12 wild and 4 domestic animals) were involved in treatment (34 registered up to thepresent) of different ailments, empacho being one of the main therapeutic targets. Of thedomestic species, the hen (Gallus gallus domesticus) was the most versatile in its usefulness,and the choique (Darwin?s Rhea) (Rhea pennata) was the most versatile wild animal. Farmersused 15 different parts of the animals, fat being the substance which was obtained from mostspecies. These zootreatments imply the transfer of aptitudes (the acquisition of a certainattribute of a species through ingestion or contact with specific parts of the animal), whichtransforms the health and lives of the people. Our results shed light on the symbolic andsymbiotic relationships woven into rural life, with their implications for the conservation andmanagement of wild fauna.