Interspecific Cohabitation and Associated Zoonotic Risk in Burrows in Niokolo-Koba National Park, Senegal

Abstract

In arid and semi-arid ecosystems, burrows serve as vital sanctuaries providing wildlife shelter, nourishment, and thermal buffering. These benefits attract multiple species into confined spaces, potentially facilitating interspecific pathogen transmission.

This study provides a comprehensive assessment of active burrows in Senegal's Niokolo-Koba National Park, examining environmental and structural characteristics, quantifying interspecific cohabitation, and documenting zoonotic pathogen transmission potential. Fieldwork during two dry-season campaigns combined semi-opportunistic searches, camera-trap monitoring, and collection of fecal, soil, and tick samples. Soil environmental DNA complemented camera-trap detections, while fecal and tick samples targeted bacteria with zoonotic potential.

Four burrow typology groups were defined based on characteristics of 105 monitored entrances. Burrow cohabitation rates were mainly influenced by entrance number and vegetation type. It increased with more entrances and was higher in open forests than in savanna woodlands. Across 151 camera-days, 32 species used burrows, resulting in 172 interspecific cohabitations. A mean of 5.7 cohabitations per entrance over 20 days was recorded, with a maximum of 5 species visiting the same entrance within 24 hours. Occupation occurred in rapid succession rather than simultaneously. Twenty significant preferential cohabitations were identified, ranging from ecological partnerships to predator–prey co-occurrences.

Soil environmental DNA revealed no additional taxa. However, pathogen screening detected potential zoonotic bacteria, including Treponema (syphilis agent genus). Ticks were found in half of sampled burrows, with Francisella (tularemia agent genus) consistently detected.

Results underscore the dual ecological and epidemiological roles of burrows. Frequent high-risk taxa involvement, combined with pathogen detection, highlights the need to integrate One Health considerations into burrow conservation