ETHNOZOOLOGICAL PRACTICES AMONG THE INHABITANTS OF DARJEELING HILLS OF WEST BENGAL, INDIA

Use of plants and animals in traditional medicines for healing practices has been common since time immemorial by the people all over the world, and the people of India too are no exception. Darjeeling Himalayan region is characterised by a rich diversity of ethnomedicinal plants as well as rich heritage of traditional medicine practices. This paper aims to document traditional methods of treating various kinds of ailments using different vertebrates and invertebrates and /or their by-products by the ethnic inhabitants of Darjeeling hills. A survey on 89 households of different villages were conducted through interviews via questionnaire. In this study, a total of 26 different animals identified were used in 33 different categories of medicinal or other religious purposes. This traditional ethnozoological knowledge is fast losing its importance on younger generation and is in urgent need to document and preserve before it perishes along with the elders.