Transhumance is a unique phenomenon of seasonal migration of families along with livestock, mostly to higher altitude in summers and returning to the lower plains in the winter. The vertical migration follows the climatic pattern suitable for growth of livestock and is driven by the availability of sufficient grasslands or rangelands (Photograph 1). Jammu and Kashmir has a large transhumant population (0.6 million people) which is more than the total population of countries like Maldives, Iceland, Luxemburg, Brunei and many more. The livestock economy is the backbone of transhumant families, in fact the only mode of sustenance. The entire sociocultural-economic model of transhumance revolves around the core of livestock rearing, mainly goat/sheep husbandry and dairying. Traditional and household ethnoveterinary treatment is prevalent in these hilly areas and forms the first line of defence for treatment of livestock (Ishtiyak & Hussain 2017, Tali et al. 2019, Mir et al. 2022). Herbal and plant-based ethnoveterinary medications form the major part of livestock treatment in these areas (Sharma et al. 1989). These traditional herbal remedies are cost effective, easily available and less technical, which makes them more popular than Western medications. The reliance on ethnoveterinary medication among the tribal population of Reasi and Udhampur Districts inspired the current study with following main goals: 1) To identify and document the different traditional plant-based treatments used by tribal people 2) To document the type of diseases being treated with these plants and their byproducts 3) To investigate the level of trust by tribal people in these traditional remedies.
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