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9 páginas, 1 figura, 4 tablas., Little information is currently available on the occurrence and molecular diversity of the enteric protozoan parasites Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia duodenalis, and Balantioides coli in wild ungulates and the role of these host species as potential sources of environmental contamination and consequent human infections. The presence of these three pathogens was investigated in eight wild ungulate species present in Spain (genera Ammotragus, Capra, Capreolus, Cervus, Dama, Ovis, Rupicapra, and Sus) by molecular methods. Faecal samples were retrospectively collected from free-ranging (n = 1058) and farmed (n = 324) wild ungulates from the five Spanish bioregions. Overall infection rates were 3.0% (42/1382; 95% CI: 2.1–3.9%) for Cryptosporidium spp., 5.4% (74/1382; 95% CI: 4.2–6.5%) for G. duodenalis, and 0.7% (9/1382; 95% CI: 0.3–1.2%) for B. coli. Cryptosporidium infection was detected in roe deer (7.5%), wild boar (7.0%) and red deer (1.5%), and G. duodenalis in southern chamois (12.9%), mouflon (10.0%), Iberian wild goat (9.0%), roe deer (7.5%), wild boar (5.6%), fallow deer (5.2%) and red deer (3.8%). Balantioides coli was only detected in wild boar (2.5%, 9/359). Sequence analyses revealed the presence of six distinct Cryptosporidium species: C. ryanae in red deer, roe deer, and wild boar; C. parvum in red deer and wild boar; C. ubiquitum in roe deer; C. scrofarum in wild boar; C. canis in roe deer; and C. suis in red deer. Zoonotic assemblages A and B were detected in wild boar and red deer, respectively. Ungulateadapted assemblage E was identified in mouflon, red deer, and southern chamois. Attempts to genotype samples positive for B. coli failed. Sporadic infections by canine- or swine-adapted species may be indicative of potential cross-species transmission, although spurious infections cannot be ruled out. Molecular evidence gathered is consistent with parasite mild infections and limited environmental contamination with (oo)cysts. Free-ranging wild ungulate species would not presumably play a significant role as source of human infections by these pathogens. Wild ruminants do not seem to be susceptible hosts for B. coli., This study was funded by Health Institute Carlos III (ISCIII), Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, under project PI19CIII/ 00029. Sample collection in Catalonia was supported by the Council of Barcelona through contracts 13/051, 15/0174, 16/0243 and 16/0243- 00-PR/01, from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness under research grants CGL2012- 40043-C02-01, CGL2012-40043-C02- 02, and from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation under research grant CGL2016-80543-P PID2020-115046GB-I00. Sampling in the Basque Country was conducted by members of the Association for the Defence of the Game Natural Heritage of the Basque Country (ARTIO). We thank the Direccion ´ General del Medio Natural y Planificacion ´ Rural del Principado de Asturias (Oviedo, Spain). Antonio Rivero-Juarez ´ is the recipient of a Miguel Servet Research Contract by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Promocion ´ y Universidades of Spain (CP18/ 00111). David Gonz´ alez-Barrio is the recipient of a Sara Borrell Research Contract funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (CD19CIII/00011). AJC is supported by ‘Juan de la Cierva’ contract (IJC2020-042629-I) funded by MCIN/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033 and by the European Union Next Generation EU/ PRTR. Alejandro Dashti is the recipient of a PFIS contract (FI20CIII/ 00002) funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and Universities. Emmanuel Serrano was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) through a Ramon y Cajal contract (RYC-2016-2020). The funders did not play any role in the design, conclusions, or interpretation of the study.