Parasitic ova and oocysts observed in intestinal contents of a Leopard (Panthera pardus)-A case report

A dead 5 years old male leopard (Panthera pardus) was brought from Rajaji National Park, Dehradun to the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, G.B.P.U.A.&T., Pantnagar for postmortem examination. Microscopic examination of its intestinal contents revealed ova and oocysts of gastrointestinal helminths and parasitic protozoa, respectively. Examination of float revealed eggs of Toxascaris sp. and strongyle spp. Eggs of Paragonimus sp. and Opisthorchis sp. were present in the sediment. Adult parasites of Taenia taeniformis tapeworm were also recovered. Oocysts of Isospora spp. were also observed in the float. Further screening of the faecal samples of the wild felids of this National Park is needed so that both quantitative and qualitative estimation of the parasitic load of these big cats can be assessed.