Prevalence of Gastro - Intestinal Infection in Captive Wild Animals at Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Tamil Nadu, India
- 1Department of Zoology, Vivekanandha College of Arts and Sciences for Women (Autonomous), Tiruchengode, Tamil Nadu, India
- 2Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar, Tamil Nadu, India
- 3Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Presidency College (Autonomous), Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
- 4Advanced Institute for Wildlife Conservation (Research, Training & Education), Vandalur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
* Correspondence: anbueri@gmail.com
Abstract
A total of 262 fecal samples from 84 individuals, representing various species, were collected and examined at Aringar Anna Zoological Park. Among these, 13 herbivores (16.66%), 13 carnivores (37.94%), 3 omnivores (27.96%), 9 primates (25.92%), and 32 birds (17.18%) were found to be infected with parasites. In reptiles, 12 individuals (47.22%) tested positive for parasitic infections, while 2 rodents (24.99%) were also found to be infected. The present study highlights that helminth infections were more prevalent than protozoan infections in reptiles. Additionally, a higher incidence of helminthic parasites in zoo reptiles compared to other animals and birds has been reported. Overcrowding in the serpentarium likely increases physiological stress, predisposing reptiles to parasitic infections.
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© 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original author(s) and the source are credited.