Ethnomedicinal Plants Used by Mahout Community in Healthcare of Domesticated Elephants in South Western Maharashtra, India
Author : SM Moholkar
Abstract :
Elephants have been domesticated and used as status symbols in the royal families and certain temples of South Western Maharashtra since time immemorial. Once a captive elephant is weaned, it begins life as a domesticated elephant under the care of its keeper, the ‘Mahout’. During the course of exploration of medicinal Plant wealth of South Western Maharashtra for the last five years, it was found that Mahouts possess substantial knowledge of herbal remedies to cure various diseases of domesticated elephants. Very little research has been conducted on medicinal Plants used for domesticated elephants in this region. The data on ethnomedicinal Plants was obtained through structured interviews with Mahouts, complemented by extensive literature review and botanical identification of the Plants. In this paper, 48 potential medicinal Plants used in herbal preparations to cure ailments related to ear, eye, throat, and arthritis in domesticated elephants are highlighted.
Keywords :
Elephants, Treatment, Mahout, Southwestern, Healthcare, Caretaking.
