Ecto- and endoparasites of brown bears living in an extreme environment, the Gobi Desert, Mongolia

Abstract: We report the first survey of ecto- and endoparasites of brown bears (Ursus arctos gobiensis) in the Gobi Desert, Mongolia. We collected 40 ticks from 1 female (21 yr old, 48 kg) and 2 males (10 yr, 155 kg; 5 yr, 108 kg) captured for research purposes in May 2018. We found Dermacentor nutalli (n = 35 ticks, 87.5%) on both male bears and Hyalomma asiaticum (n = 5 ticks, 12.5%) on one male. The female had no ticks. We also collected a fecal sample from each captured bear, and an additional 15 fecal samples in the field. Two (11%) of the 18 fecal samples collected contained eggs of Strongyloides spp.; 1 fecal (10-yr-old male) sample had 2 eggs, and 1 fecal sample collected in the field contained 1 egg. This is the first documentation of parasites of wild bears in Mongolia.