College of William and Mary

03/04/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/04/2026 13:03

William & Mary students study feline feces in South Africa

William & Mary students study feline feces in South Africa

Lion poop may work as a non-invasive measure of inflammation and stress.

W&M students traveled to South Africa in January to measure inflammation and stress for wild lions. (Photo courtesy of Lucy Loudon '26)

Taking a blood sample from a wild lion is no easy task - it's stressful for humans and big cats, requires extensive planning and perfect timing.

Heather Broughton, a veterinarian and wildlife scientist at William & Mary's Institute for Integrative Conservation (IIC), is working to reduce the need for this invasive procedure. With a group of William & Mary students, she's exploring a simpler, if smellier approach: studying lion feces as a non-invasive health measure for South Africa's apex predator.

Broughton and five W&M students spent two weeks at the Veterinary Wildlife Services camp in Kruger National Park, South Africa. (Photo courtesy of Heather Broughton)

Broughton and five students recently returned from a trip to Kruger National Park in South Africa. Their work is part of a larger collaboration with South Africa National Parks (SANParks) and researchers at Oregon State University, Oklahoma State University and Stellenbosch University, South Africa. The overarching project investigates the health of lions with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), bovine tuberculosis (TB), gastrointestinal (GI) parasites or a combination of these infections.

"We're examining how markers of inflammation and stress found in poop may change in lions with one or more of these infections," said Broughton. "Our goal is to turn feces into a tool for wildlife managers to identify at-risk lions and prioritize management decisions - without ever handling the animals."

Beyond the animal kingdom, studying the interplay of FIV, TB and GI parasites could have utility for human health.

"There are many places in the world where treatment for HIV is limited. If we can show what the consequences on overall health are in lions that go untreated with FIV and develop co-infections, we can help justify prioritization of healthcare programs for areas where access to treatment is limited for humans," she said.

Looking for clues in feline feces

After an 18-hour flight from Dubai to Johannesburg, Broughton's group spent two incredibly rainy weeks in January at the Veterinary Wildlife Services camp, a unit in the SANParks Conservation Services Division. Working in the lab, they studied fecal samples already collected and stored for them by their collaborators at Stellenbosch University and SANParks.

"Our collaborators did the laborious work of capturing these lions, taking blood samples to diagnose what diseases they have and then collecting feces," said Broughton. "Our job was to analyze the samples for various health markers, including inflammation and stress."

Working in the lab. (Photo courtesy of Lucy Loudon '26)

Lucy Loudon '26, president of William & Mary's pre-vet club, focused on the former aspect by detecting and quantifying acute-phase proteins (APPs), which are a common measure of inflammation in humans and some animals.

"My project has two parts. The first, which I worked on in South Africa, is to see if fecal APP levels change in response to the different infections we're studying," said Loudon. "In other words, how does the body ramp up inflammation when burdened by multiple diseases?"

The project's second phase is to validate APPs as an accurate measure of systemic inflammation by studying captive lions.

"We already know the inflammatory profile of captive lions based on data from ultrasounds, endoscopies and blood tests," said Loudon. "After we analyze their fecal samples, we'll see if APP levels accurately reflect inflammation when compared to this existing data."

Beyond inflammation, the team analyzed wild lions' cortisol levels, a hormonal measure of stress, and GI parasite load, to investigate their health more broadly.

"Ultimately, we're asking: Can poop serve as a remote warning sensor for lions with different infections and pathology?" said Broughton.

Broughton's partners at Kruger National Park hope the answer will be yes.

"Obviously, it's much easier for wildlife managers to pick up a lion's poop than it is to capture, sedate and draw blood from the animal," said Broughton. "And it's also better for the lions. When captured, their stress response goes through the roof, which can lead to downstream negative health effects."

Enhancing opportunities for pre-vet students in conservation

This research project is part of the Institute for Integrative Conservation's efforts to match William & Mary students and faculty from across departments with external partners to conduct research that helps address pressing conservation challenges. Taking an integrative approach to conservation is particularly important to understand how environmental changes are linked to wildlife and livestock health and human well-being.

Several of the students on the trip, including Loudon, are part of William & Mary's pre-vet club. Connecting students interested in careers in veterinary science and animal husbandry, the club provides educational support and networking opportunities. William & Mary also offers pre-professional advising for the pre-vet track.

Loudon, who has been accepted into vet school for fall 2026, credits the club with helping her find a close-knit community of like-minded students and giving her valuable volunteer experience.

"We have a relationship with the Colonial Williamsburg Livestock Program, which gives us really cool opportunities to work with their animals," she said. "I've learned a lot shadowing the workers there and getting experience handling and caring for different farm animals."

The trip to South Africa immersed Loudon in a whole different aspect of veterinary science.

"I never dreamed I'd find myself in South Africa studying disease ecology in wild lions," she said. "This research opportunity, along with Heather's teaching and mentorship, has really expanded my understanding of the field and helped me feel prepared as I get ready to start vet school."

In addition to lions, the group was lucky enough to spot the remainder of Africa's "Big Five." (Photo courtesy of Lucy Loudon '26) In addition to lions, the group was lucky enough to spot the remainder of Africa's "Big Five." (Photo courtesy of Lucy Loudon '26) In addition to lions, the group was lucky enough to spot the remainder of Africa's "Big Five." (Photo courtesy of Lucy Loudon '26) In addition to lions, the group was lucky enough to spot the remainder of Africa's "Big Five." (Photo courtesy of Lucy Loudon '26)

For Lilia Koval '28, a sophomore and the team's youngest member, the research experience solidified her interest in studying wild animals.

"Oh, I 100% want to keep working with wildlife," she said. "Getting to live and do research in one of the world's largest animal sanctuaries was incredible."

Catherine Tyson, Communications Specialist

Tags: Arts & Sciences, Careers, International, Research, Science & Technology Research, STEM, Undergrad Research
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