First records of gastrointestinal parasites in woolly monkeys (Lagothrix lagothricha) in Colombia, from wild, captive and reintroduced individuals

Abstract

Interest about parasites in vertebrate populations during translocation and reintroduction programs is increasing; thus, a description of parasites in captivity infecting animals to be relocated is necessary. This study aimed to characterize the communities of gastrointestinal parasites in woolly monkeys (Lagothrix lagothricha) from captive and wild individuals, as well as the change in parasite prevalence in four individuals during a reintroduction process. To accomplish this goal, we used a fecal flotation technique to analyze the collected samples. In captivity, 95 % of the screened samples were infected with at least one parasite, while only 77 % of wild primate samples showed infection, indicating higher prevalence in captive vs. wild individuals. Overall, wild and captive woolly monkeys shared many groups of parasites (Strongylidae, Oxyuridae and Entamoebidae) and we found a trend of lower parasite prevalence after release in captive individuals. Our data showed a consistent difference between captive and reintroduced individuals suggesting that variables related to diet, overcrowding and human presence may be the most important factors explaining parasite communities.