Prevalence of gastrointestinal parasitic infections in wild mammals of a safari park and a zoo in Bangladesh

Abstract

In safari parks and zoos, wild animals are kept mainly for recreational purposes. Animals in these enclosures are also crucial for the education, research, and conservation aspect. To ensure better management and good health of wild animals in captivity, it is essential to monitor the occurrence of gastrointestinal (GI) parasitic (helminths and protozoa) infections. The current investigation was undertaken to investigate the prevalence of GI parasitic infections in wild mammals at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib (BSM) safari park and Chattogram (CTG) zoo of Bangladesh. A total of 72 individual faecal samples were collected from 25 species of wild mammals. Routine qualitative (e.g. direct smear, sedimentation, and flotation) and quantitative (e.g. McMaster technique) tests were performed to identify the eggs or oocysts of helminths and protozoa. Results demonstrated that wild mammals of both BSM safari park and CTG zoo were infected with a total of 17 genera/species of helminths and protozoa. The overall prevalence of GI parasitic infections in wild mammals of both zoological parks was 65.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 53.14-76.12), whereas it was 72.4% (95% CI: 52.76-87.27) in the BSM safari park and 60.5% (95% CI: 44.41-75.02) in the CTG zoo. In both zoological parks, infection with nematodes was more frequent compared to other helminth into the wild mammals. The herbivores were more infected with GI parasites than carnivores and omnivores of both BSM safari park and CTG zoo. The mean eggs/oocysts per gram of faeces was the highest in the carnivores compared to herbivores and omnivores of both enclosures. The findings of the current study demonstrated that wild mammals of both BSM safari park and CTG zoo suffered from various GI parasitic infections. Regular monitoring along with proper therapeutic measures may reduce the severe consequences of GI parasitic infections in captive wild animals.

Wild Animals in Captivity: An Analysis of Parasite Biodiversity and Transmission among Animals at Two Zoological Institutions with Different Typologies

“…The number of species found infected varied according to the zoological institution, being overall and by animal group (according to their diet) higher in ZooAquarium than in Faunia. However, the values found in ZooAquarium are within the range of results published by other authors [ 25 , 31 , 32 , 60 ], and compared to other European zoos, the values are also similar or even lower [ 26 , 34 , 44 , 61 ]. These overall data, however, require a more detailed analysis as there are significant differences depending on the mammalian group considered.…”

“…Among carnivorous animals, we only found positive samples in some species of the order Carnivora and in the giant anteater (order Pilosa) (Tables 3 and 5). In species of the order Carnivora, the vast majority of findings occurred only once or twice over the 10 years of sampling, and except for four positive samples for Capillaria, the parasites now found do not correspond to those generally detected in other studies, which report ascarids, whipworms, and strongyles [13,25,31,34,44,60,62].…”

Prevalence of Gastrointestinal Parasites in Free-Ranging Bantengs (Bos javanicus) and Domestic Cattle at a Wildlife and Livestock Interface in Thailand

“…): 1) Strongyle-type eggs observed in 4 (8.7 %) and 7 (46 %) samples; 2) Moniezia eggs observed in 2 (4.3 %) and 1 (6.7 %) samples; 3) Fasciola eggs observed in 1 banteng sample (2.2 %); 4) Rumen fluke eggs observed in 3 (6.5 %) and 1 (6.7 %) samples; 5) Toxocara eggs observed in 2 cattle samples (13.3 %); and Capillaria, Strongyloides, and Trichuris eggs were identified in a different (6.7 %) sample. The results in the present study showed overall prevalence of 26.2, 17.4, 53.3 % for both animal groups combined, bantengs and domestic cattle respectively, which were much lower than the prevalence in wild animals reported elsewhere [18,19]. Regarding genera diversity, we identified 4 genera in the wild banteng population; whereas, 7 were revealed in the domestic cattle.…”

Prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in captive mammals at Khon Kaen Zoo, Thailand

“…The significant finding of a considerable range of GI parasitic infections (62.6% of animals infected) among captive mammals at Khon Kaen Zoo raises concerns. Comparable prevalence values have been reported from zoo populations in other countries, such as Nepal (19.5%) [ 33 ], Malaysia (56.3%) [ 34 ], and Bangladesh (60.5%) [ 35 ]. Higher prevalence has been reported in some cases, such as 68.3% in the Rio de Janeiro Zoo [ 36 ], 72.5% in Spain [ 5 ], and 71.8% and 74.2% in Brazil [ 37 , 38 ].…”

“…In our study, fecal samples were collected directly from the floor of zoo animal enclosures. This non-invasive approach eliminates the need for chemical or mechanical restraint of the animals, such as Nepal (19.5%) [33], Malaysia (56.3%) [34], and Bangladesh (60.5%) [35]. Higher prevalence has been reported in some cases, such as 68.3% in the Rio de Janeiro Zoo [36], 72.5% in Spain [5], and 71.8% and 74.2% in Brazil [37,38].…”