A comparison of zootherapy practices between urban and rural hunters in the southwestern brazilian Amazon

Wildlife plays an essential role in the feeding and traditional medicine of rural and urban populations throughout the Neotropics. However, crucial gaps in patterns of use can still be observed in the Amazon region, especially for urban and rural hunters. Faced with this scenario, this study aims to answer the following question: do urban and rural hunters have the same zootherapeutic practices? As such, 57 rural and 49 urban hunters were interviewed about their use of zootherapeutic practices in the state of Rondonia, located in the southwestern Amazon. The primary analyses used for group comparison were the species rarefaction curve, Relative Importance, Use Value Index, Value of Medicinal Applications, and Principal Coordinate Analysis. Of the total number of hunters interviewed, 56.6% reported the use of zootherapeutic practices, with nine hunting to specifically obtain zootherapeutic products. A total of 12 species were utilized of which nine body parts were used to treat 33 diseases, where the main species used in the zootherapeutic practices was Cuniculus paca. This predominance may be related to hunting preference and may introduce the potential for pharmacological research. The Relative Importance, Use Value Index, Value of Medicinal Applications, and Principal Coordinate Analysis showed no differences. Our results indicate a significant similarity in the use of zootherapeutic practices between the groups and that the geographic location of residence does not influence the choice of species.