ABSTRACT
The health surveillance through a copro-ovoscopical study was conducted to assess the gastrointestinal parasitic infections in captive canine {jackal (Canis aureus), wolf (Canis lupus), dhole (Cuon alpinus) and hyaena (Hyaena hyaena)} and feline carnivorans {lion (Panthera leo), tiger (Panthera tigris), leopard (Panthera pardus) and jungle cat (Felis chaus)}, maintained at Bannerghatta Biological Park, Bengaluru, Karnataka. A total of 41 fecal samples from apparently normal/healthy captive lions, 35 from tigers, 34 from leopards, 14 from jungle cats, 4 from dholes, 4 from wolves, 4 from jackals and 2 from hyenas were collected over a period of 12 months during 2015-2016 and were screened using classical parasitological techniques including sedimentation and floatation technique followed by microscopic identification of eggs. It revealed the prevalence of ova of 3 (7.31%) Strongyle sp., 8 (19.51%) Ancylostoma sp., 21 (51.21%) Toxocara sp., 16 (39.02%) Toxascaris leonina, 4 (9.75%) mixed (Ascaris and Ancylostoma sp.) in lions; 19 (54.28%) Toxocara sp., 8 (22.85%) Toxascaris leonina, 6 (17.14%) Ancylostoma sp., 2 (5.71%) oocyst of Eimeria sp., 2 (5.71%) Spirometra sp. in tigers; 13 (38.23%) Toxocara sp., 6 (17.64%) Ancylostoma sp. in leopards; 7 (50%) Isospora sp. and 2 (14.28%) Toxocara sp. in jungle cats; 2 (50%) Ancylostoma sp. in jackals; 2 (50%) Toxocara canis and 1 (25%) Ancylostoma sp. in wolves; 2 (50%) Toxocara canis in dholes; while ova of only 1 (50%) Ancylostoma sp. could be observed in hyaena. This preliminary data may be useful for health management of the said species in captivity.