Does sex influence prevalence of parasitic infection among captive wild mammals? An observation at the Zoological Garden, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

Abstract

Received on 10 December 1999 Accepted on 5 March 2000 Zoological gardens play a vital role in the preservation of wild animals for aeshetic, educational and conservation purposes. They also serve as a sole breeding foci for certain highly endangered species. Parasitic diseases constitute one of the major problems causing even mortality in wild animals in captivity (Rao & Acharjyo, 1984). Although there have been numerous studies on the prevalence of gastro interstinal parasitism in wild animals, there have been only a limited number of parasite surveys conducted for the influence of sex among them.