Ethno Veterinary Practices Followed by Attappadi Tribal Farmers of Kerala

Background: The study was undertaken to document the different plants of ethno veterinary uses and to identify the most prevailing livestock disease category among livestock farmers of Attappadi using consensus methodology. Methods: This study was conducted in Attappadi with a structured interview with tribal farmers, Ethno Veterinary Medicine (EVM) healers and key informants engaged in the livestock farming. Result: There was great agreement among the informants regarding ethno veterinary uses of plants with Factor of Informants Consensus (FIC) value ranging from 0.50 to 0.97, with an average value of 0.87, used to generate novel, cost effective, active and eco-friendly herbal formulations for healthcare management. A total of 55 plant species under 39 families in Attappadi area have been documented for treatment of 15 categories of ailments.