Study has found that carnivorous animals, such as wolves and leopards are more vulnerable to cancer than plant-eating counterparts like sheep or antelopes.
Researchers led from the University of Southern Denmark studied cancer incidence in more than 110,000 zoo-kept mammals from nearly 200 different species.
The findings, the team said, highlight how cancer is not just a human affliction — and may help scientists working to develop anti-cancer treatments for humans.
Study has found that carnivorous animals, such as leopards, foxes, andwolves, are more vulnerable to cancer than plant-eating counterparts like sheep or antelopes.
Researchers led from the University of Southern Denmark studied cancer incidence in more than 110,000 zoo-kept mammals from nearly 200 different species — including bat-eared foxes (left) and red wolves (right). Their findings, the team said, highlight how cancer is not just a human affliction — and may help scientists working to develop anti-cancer treatments
The study was undertaken by mathematician Fernando Colchero of University of Southern Denmark and his colleagues.
“Overall, our study shows that animal welfare could be at risk from cancer,” [one] that needs considerable scientific attention,’ Professor Colchero said.
He stated that such a change is essential, particularly in the light of recent environmental changes made by humans.
In their investigation, Professor Colchero and his team analysed data on 110,148 individual, zoo-based mammals — representing a total of 191 species.
Working with animals at zoos gave the team a greater understanding of their age. It is crucial because, although cancer is a disease that affects the elderly, it is difficult to know and estimate wild animal’s age.
This is in addition to the fact that it can be difficult to determine cancer rates or impacts on natural animal populations. Serious illnesses are often fatal due to starvation and predation.
Although cancer is widespread in mammals and affects everyone, the researchers also found that all individuals are not equally susceptible to it.
Specifically, the team’s analysis revealed that the carnivorans — a group of mammals that, as their name suggests, are chiefly meat-eaters — are particularly prone to the disease.
More than half of all the red wolves, bat-eared and clouded leopards in the study died from cancer.
In contrast, the ungulates — or hooved mammals, who are typically herbivorous — all appear to be highly resistant to the disease.
In their investigation, Professor Colchero and his team analysed data on 110,148 individual, zoo-based mammals — representing a total of 191 species. The cancer mortality risks across different subgroups of mammalian mammals is shown in the picture.
Ungulates — or hooved mammals, who are typically herbivorous — all appear to be highly resistant to the disease. Illustration: Ungulates are sheep, which is an example of an ungulate.
According to the researchers, their results indicate that zoo-based mammals that consume animals — in particular, other mammals — are at an increased cancer risk.
The team speculated that this could be due to the low diversity of microbiome in carnivores, their limited exercise while under human care or the vulnerability to viral infections that can cause cancer.
Nature published the full results of this study.