Wildlife and Conservation Research

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Browsing Wildlife and Conservation Research by Author "Magenge, Mangirichi M"

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    An analysis of mixed linear model, lagged rainfall effects on gastrointestinal parasite intensity in Chacma baboons, Filabusi, Zimbabwe
    (Brill, 2026-05-14) Banda, Annabel; Moyo, Doreen Z.; Utete, Edmore; Tapedzwa, Enock; Ncube, Nokubonga; Ndlovu, Meshach; Magenge, Mangirichi M; Gandiwa, Edson
    The spread of zoonotic diseases jeopardizes public health and wildlife conservation. Environmental, edaphic, and biological factors influence parasite intensity, thereby impacting zoonotic disease transmission. This study investigated the impact of rainfall, year, parasite type, and troops on the intensity of gastrointestinal parasites in Chacma baboons at Epoch Mine Campus, Gwanda State University, located in Filabusi, Insiza District. Data were collected in 2023 and 2024. A number of linear mixed-effects models were constructed to evaluate the factors influencing gastrointestinal parasite intensity in baboons. The analysis revealed two notable interaction effects regarding parasite intensity. The interaction between year and parasite type showed a substantial increase in parasite intensity in 2023 and 2024 (Estimate = 169.80, p < 0.001), even after controlling for rainfall factors. In contrast, lagged models showed no significant improvement, with a difference in the Akaike Information Criterion (ΔAIC) of less than 0.15. It is concluded that rainfall, year, and parasite type may influence the intensity of gastrointestinal parasites, but rainfall effects vary across parasites.