Parasitic infections threaten Sundarbans tiger population as experts warn of hunting decline

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A new study has revealed that tigers in the Sundarbans are battling widespread parasitic infections, a discovery experts warn could compromise the health and hunting efficiency of the world’s largest mangrove-dwelling tiger population. Research conducted by a consortium of Bangladeshi agricultural universities and the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), indicates that tigers, alongside their primary prey species such as deer, wild boar, and monkeys, are suffering from four distinct types of parasites.

The findings, presented to government officials earlier this year, highlight a significant prevalence of roundworms, tapeworms, flukes, and protozoa within the feline population. Among these, tapeworms were detected in 68.5 percent of samples, followed by roundworms at 53 percent. Researchers analyzed 399 fecal and blood samples collected from 65 locations across the Sundarbans between March 2024 and January 2025.

Professor Sultan Ahmed of Sylhet Agricultural University, who led the research, described these parasites as “silent killers.” While they may not immediately prove fatal, they absorb vital nutrients, leading to malnutrition, weight loss, and reduced immune function. According to Professor Ahmed, the presence of these pathogens—particularly *Toxocara cati*, which can be lethal to cubs with underdeveloped immune systems, and *Ancylostoma ceylanicum*, which causes blood loss and diarrhea—poses a significant challenge to conservation efforts.

The transmission cycle is exacerbated by the ecological interconnectivity of the forest. Parasites often enter the food chain via intermediate hosts, such as snails carrying liver flukes, which then migrate to grass and are ingested by deer. When tigers consume infected prey, the parasites transfer to the predator’s digestive system. Anthropogenic factors, including the presence of human waste and domestic livestock feces near the forest fringes, further increase the risk of cross-species contamination.

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The research also highlighted the looming threat of Canine Distemper Virus (CDV), which was detected in blood samples taken from dogs in areas adjacent to the Sundarbans. While the core forest remains geographically isolated, experts have advised clearing domestic dogs from a one-kilometer buffer zone to mitigate the risk of interspecies viral transmission.

As the world marks Global Tiger Day, the study serves as a critical diagnostic tool for conservationists. Professor M.A. Aziz, a zoologist at Jahangirnagar University, noted that the data provides a foundation for developing new strategies to reduce environmental stressors on the tigers. With the species already facing significant population pressures, mitigating these parasitic and viral threats is now considered essential to ensuring the long-term survival of the Sundarbans’ apex predator.