Investigation of the endoparasite in sun bear at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, Sandakan, Sabah / Nur Syafiqah Bacho

The Malayan sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) is one of the vulnerable species. The parasitic infection might be the one of the factor that will affect the Sun Bear overall health. High parasitic infection can lowering the survival and reduces the sun bear fitness. It will effected the poor body fat content, with a domino effect on the female reproduction potential and rates of population growth. The female may forgo mating season because of energetic stress and it will lead to declined population. The malnutritiousness and weakness of the cubs make it vulnerable to predator and variety of pathogen. The aim of this study were to detect the presence of endoparasites and evaluate the prevalence rate of endoparasite in sun bear via fecal sample at different age structure and gender. A total of 66 fecal sample of sun bear in Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) at Sandakan, Sabah were collected and examined at the Sepilok Clinic. In the laboratory, the endoparasite was identified by direct smear and fecal flotation. For the data analysis, prevalence rate and egg per gram (EPG) were used and identified based on these two methods. The result show that the three groups of endoparasite present in the fecal samples with the highest prevalence rate which is nematode with 90.9%, followed by protozoa with 75.8% and cestode with 19.7%. For the age structure, nematode in the cubs and adult shows the highest rate with 100% and 90%. While the second highest prevalence rate for both cubs and adult is protozoa with 66.7% and 76.7%. Cestode has the lowest rate which is 33.3% (cubs), and 18.3% (adult). The female shows the higher prevalence rate compared to male. Where in female protozoa (81.8%), nematode (93.9%) and cestode (21.2%) While in male has 69.7% in protozoa, 87.9% in nematode and 18.2% in cestode. The egg per gram in cubs for male is 767 and female, 533. While for the adult male is 483 and female, 487. One of the factor that might cause the sun bear to get infected most probably due to the environment, contaminated water and food.