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© Chetri et al. 2022. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. JoTT allows unrestricted use, reproduction, and distribution of this article in any medium by providing adequate credit to the author(s) and the source of publication. This is the first photographic confirmation of the occurrence of Binturong Arctictis binturong from Nepal. Although based on anecdotal reports, the species was believed to occur in the eastern Himalaya of Nepal but its exact locality and photographic evidence were not available. Hence this is the first proof for this species to be present in Nepal.

Cats (Felis catus) are the only felines that live in close contact with humans. Since cats can act as vectors, carriers, reservoirs and definitive hosts of many gastrointestinal (GI) parasites, parasitic assessment could contribute to their survival and well-being.The current study aimed to assess the diversity and prevalence of GI parasites in domestic and feral cats from Ratnanagar in Chitwan in Central Nepal.A total of 107 fresh faecal samples of cats (90 household cats and 17 feral cats) of varied ages and sex were collected and transported to the laboratory. The copromicroscopic examination was carried out following direct wet mount, formalin-ethyl acetate sedimentation, saturated salt flotation, acid-fast staining and sporulation techniques. Furthermore, associated risk factors were evaluated to ascertain the predictor of risks for parasitic acquisition.The current study revealed an overall 95.3% prevalence rate with a 100% rate in feral cats and 94.4% in household cats. Altogether, 18 (17 known and one unknown) different species of GI parasites were reported with the helminths (95.3%; 11 species) and the protozoa (55.1%; seven species). Besides age and sex, outdoor lifestyle, absence or unknown history of medication and hunting behaviour of the felines are the predictors of risk. Furthermore, mixed infection was comparatively higher than single infection in the faecal samples.Cats harbour a higher prevalence and greater diversity of GI parasites, and parasitism varies with age and sex. This finding can be essential for veterinarians and public health authorities for strategic treatment and for assessing the zoonotic transmission of the parasites from these felines. Importantly, an effective medication strategy for cats and owners is recommended.

Langurs (Semnopithecus spp.) were once very common and play an important spiritual and ecological role, e.g. for well-being and seed dispersal in forested landscapes. But now they are dramatically declining in many parts of Nepal. From our reviews and rapid assessments in several sites of the HKH region, the prime reason for this decline remains multi-facetted and uncertain, but it is likely that global economy plays a role and that langurs have been hunted down as a natural source of meat for those people across Asian borders who believe in ethno-medical practices when consuming these animals for treating tuberculosis, arthritis, and other health problems. A wider demand exists for such medications. Stress (‘Ecology of Fear’), infection by parasites, as well as viral and bacterial infections might be other underlying factors of the landscape-wide decline of this species population. However, more study is needed while population remnants are found in protected areas and inaccessible areas, often in relation to water like river valleys. Despite years of study and many publications, the best-available public data for this species remain very few (only 11 geo-referenced records with GBIF.org). In addition to effective conservation policies and a good framework to achieve, we recommend rigorous surveys and open access data compilations -ideally with predictive modelling in support – to quickly inform the current population estimate and range-wide status. Education programs are also critical to increase the awareness among local hunters and communities for the conservation of langurs and other primates in Nepal and beyond. The langur seems to be a typical victim of globalization and its wider neoliberal repercussions; here we ask for relevant conservation improvements.