Ethnobotanical Study of Medicinal Plants Used To Treat Livestock Ailments In Ensaro District, North Shewa Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Abstract Introduction: In Ethiopia, the majority of animal owners throughout the country depend on traditional healthcare practices to manage their animals’ health. Ethnoveterinary practices play significantly greater roles in livestock health care as an alternative or integral part of modern veterinary practices. This is because traditional medicines have remained the most economically affordable and easily available form of therapies for resource-poor communities. Even although, ethnoveterinary medicine is the most important and has higher acceptance and trust by the community in Ethiopia, ethnoveterinary medicinal plants and associated indigenous practices are not adequately documented. This study aimed to identify and document ethnoveterinary medicinal plants with their associated indigenous practices along with the habitats of these plants in Ensaro district.Methods: This ethnobotanical survey included 389 informants (283 males and 106 females) from all 14 kebeles of Ensaro district, which is the smallest administrative unit in Amhara Regional State's North Shewa Zone. Systematic random and intentional sampling techniques have been used to obtain representative informants. Ethnobotanical data were collected during the 13th of February 2019 and the 26th of October 2020 through Semi-structured interviews, field observation, a guided field walk, and focus group discussions.Results: We identified and recorded 44 medicinal plants belonging to 43 genera and 28 families that are used in Ensaro district to manage livestock diseases. The analysis of collected information from informants showed that shrubs constituted the highest number of species, leaves were the most highly harvested parts for the preparation of remedies and oral administration was the main route to apply medicines to treat internal diseases of livestock. Conclusion: In general, the findings of this study revealed diverse ethnoveterinary medicinal plants and associated indigenous practices about their use in the Ensaro District. The majority of farmers trust traditional ethnoveterinary medicines due to their higher efficacy, lower price, and easy availability. Data from this study can be used to preserve important medicinal plants for sustainable utilization and drug formulation.