Central Department of Zoology, Institute of Science and Technology, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Babarmahal, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Ann Parasitol. 2022;68(1):159-167. doi: 10.17420/ap6801.420.
Recently, many individuals of greater one-horned rhino (GOHR) were died with unknown reason in Chitwan National Park (CNP), Nepal. This has arisen chaos and confusion in the rhino conservation program of the country. This study was designed to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites among GOHR in the CNP. A total of 100 dung samples were collected opportunistically by the random sampling method. Dung samples were preserved in 2.5% potassium dichromate solution and analysed in the laboratory by the direct smear and concentration method (floatation and sedimentation). Eggs and larvae of gastrointestinal parasite were found in 91% examined samples. Altogether 13 different genera of parasites were identified with one protozoan i.e. Eimeria sp. (9%), nine nematodes i.e. Strongyloides sp. (65%), Ascaris sp. (16%), Haemonchus sp. (15%), Dromeostrongylus sp. (9%), Oxyuris sp. (8%), Bunostomum sp. (8%), Chabertia sp. (5%), Trichostrongylus sp. (4%) and Nematodirus sp. (2%), one cestode i.e. Anoplocephala sp. (16%) and two trematodes i.e. Paramphistomum sp. (31%) and Fasciola sp. (14%). Nematode parasites were found to be most prevalent (87% of samples) followed by trematodes (45%), cestodes (16%) and protozoans (9%). The study indicates a high prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in the GOHR of CNP and identifies that there is need of strategic control measures to protect this endangered species from parasitic infection.
最近，尼泊尔奇特旺国家公园（CNP）有许多独角犀牛个体不明原因死亡。这给该国的犀牛保护计划带来了混乱。本研究旨在确定 CNP 中独角犀牛的胃肠道寄生虫流行情况。通过随机抽样方法共采集了 100 份粪便样本。粪便样本用 2.5%重铬酸钾溶液保存，并在实验室通过直接涂片和浓缩法（漂浮和沉淀）进行分析。在检查的 91%样本中发现了胃肠道寄生虫的卵和幼虫。总共鉴定出 13 种不同属的寄生虫，其中一种原生动物即艾美球虫（9%），9 种线虫即 Strongyloides sp.（65%）、Ascaris sp.（16%）、Haemonchus sp.（15%）、Dromeostrongylus sp.（9%）、Oxyuris sp.（8%）、Bunostomum sp.（8%）、Chabertia sp.（5%）、Trichostrongylus sp.（4%）和 Nematodirus sp.（2%）、一种绦虫即无钩绦虫（16%）和两种吸虫即片形吸虫（31%）和双腔吸虫（14%）。发现线虫寄生虫最为普遍（87%的样本），其次是吸虫（45%）、绦虫（16%）和原生动物（9%）。研究表明，CNP 中的独角犀牛胃肠道寄生虫流行率很高，需要采取战略控制措施来保护这一濒危物种免受寄生虫感染。
