Predators are more likely to suffer from cancer than other animals, researchers from the University of Southern Denmark have found. This is primarily due to excess meat in the diet. Scientists described the results of the work in an article in the journal Nature.

Cancer incidence and risk factors are best understood in humans. However, animals, including wild animals, also suffer from cancer. To find out how often this happens, the researchers analyzed data on more than 110,000 mammals in 191 species. It turned out that predators are most susceptible to cancer - more than a quarter of clouded leopards, red wolves and flying foxes die from it. Ungulates faced cancer least of all.

The risk of developing cancer in animals has been linked to meat consumption. Oncogenic viral infections, low diversity of the intestinal microbiome could also play a role. Since animals kept in zoos were studied, a sedentary lifestyle became another factor.

“Overall, our work highlights that cancer can pose a serious and significant threat to animal welfare, requiring significant scientific attention, especially in the context of recent human-induced environmental changes,” the authors conclude. In addition, they hope that the study of cancer in animals will lead to medical discoveries that will be beneficial to humans.

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