Today is July 29th, which is World Tiger Day.This day is celebrated around the world every year to raise awareness about protecting tiger habitats and ensuring the safety of tigers.This year‘s theme in Bangladesh is “Let‘s be aware, let’s conserve tigers.”
Parasites live in the tiger‘s digestive system and take in nutrients from the food, which makes the tiger feel weak, lose weight, and not get enough nourishment.
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If a tiger gets infected for a long time, it can weaken its immune system, making it easier for other diseases to affect it.
It can also hurt the tiger‘s ability to have babies and make it harder for baby tigers to survive.
Liver fluke parasites live inside snails.
When snails climb onto grass, they leave the parasites there.When deer come to eat the grass, they accidentally swallow the parasites.Then, when a tiger eats the deer, the parasite moves into the tiger’s stomach.
Professor Sultan Ahmed from the Microbiology and Immunology Department at Sylhet Agricultural University said that the number of tigers in the Sundarbans is already very small, and they are in danger.
This infection might make it even harder to protect them.
Professor Sultan Ahmed explained, “We found a deadly parasite from the nematode group, called Toxocara cati, in tiger droppings.
This parasite can be deadly to tiger cubs because their immune system is not strong enough.”
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In addition, we found another worm called Ancylostoma ceylanicum, which lives in the tiger‘s intestines and feeds on blood, causing diarrhea.
There is also a trematode parasite called the liver fluke, which can seriously harm the tiger’s liver.
Source of infection spread
Professor Sultan Ahmed explained how parasitic infections spread in tigers.
Liver fluke parasites live in snails.When snails climb onto grass, they leave the parasites on the grass.When deer come to graze, they eat the parasites.When a tiger eats the deer, the parasite enters the tiger’s stomach.This is how the infection spreads in the tiger’s body.
The number of tigers in the Sundarbans is already low and they are at risk.
This infection could make conservation efforts even more challenging.