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In the annals of history, countless civilizations have turned to the natural world for therapeutic remedies and mystical cures, often featuring animals and their by-products. From the earliest recorded pharmacopoeias in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, to the exotic bestiaries of the Greeks and Romans, and the shamanic traditions of the Americas and Oceania, the use of animals in ancient medicine has long been prolific and fascinating. Our exploration of this topic unravels the intriguing mixture of folklore, magic, religion, and empirical observation that underpinned ancient medicinal systems, underscoring the animal kingdom's contribution to human wellbeing over the centuries.