J. Landsoudsoukate et al., INTESTINAL PARASITES OF SYMPATRIC GORILLAS AND CHIMPANZEES IN THE LOPE-RESERVE, GABON, Annals of tropical medicine and parasitology, 89(1), 1995, pp. 73-79
A coprological survey of intestinal parasites of wild chimpanzees (Pan
t. troglodytes) and western lowland gorillas (Gorilla g. gorilla) was
carried out in the Lope Reserve in central Gabon. Most samples (69%)
were positive but the prevalence of intestinal parasites in the 61 gor
illa samples (84%) was higher than in the 66 chimpanzee samples (56%).
At least 11 species of parasite were observed: six protozoan, one tre
matode and at least four nematodes. Six of the species were found in g
orillas and chimpanzees but the remainder only occurred in chimpanzees
. All but one parasite occurred at low prevalences. Entodiniomorph cil
iates, which occurred frequently in both ape species (particularly in
gorillas) in the Lope survey and in all previous coprological surveys
of wild apes, may be symbionts involved in cellulose digestion. The di
etary and behavioural strategies of wild primates that serve to reduce
infection by pathogenic parasites are reviewed.