Effect of Season on Helminth Loads of Wild Herbivores and Cattle in the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Southern India

1766 ABSTRACT The effects of season on helminth loads was studied between May and August 1999, using the estimation of helminth eggs per gram of faeces as an index, at the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, southern India. The species of hosts sampled included chital (Axis axis), gaur (Bos gaurus), elephant (Elephas maximus) and domestic cattle. In general all species showed an upward trend (i.e., the helminth loads increased) as the dry season progressed into the wet. Chital sampled in the dry deciduous forest, with or without sympatric cattle grazing, however, showed no such trends. Chital sampled in scrub forest areas with sympatric cattle grazing showed a significant downward trend as the wet season progressed. It is hypothesised that this is because helminth loads in chital are governed more by nutritive status of the animals rather than the availability of infective larvae in the environment. With the progress of the rains increased vegetation may improve the nutritive status of chital thus causing reduction in helminth loads. Possible reasons for this finding are also discussed.