Shocking TikTok video reveals tapeworms in wild bear: Wildlife photographer’s startling discovery

A viral video, viewed over 24 million times, features documentary wildlife photographer Mark Bouldoukian, known as @markian.b on TikTok, having a startling encounter with a brown bear with what appeared to be long white ropes attached to its rear but in reality, these were not ropes but rather tapeworms.

The video’s creator indicated that tapeworms residing inside bears can grow up to 30 feet or more, a length he had never witnessed before.

Tapeworms are flat, ribbon-like parasites, typically dull white. Their bodies consist of segments without internal divisions, ranging from 2-4 millimetres to several metres in length. The entire tapeworm, known as strobili, is divided into three main parts: the head (scolex), neck, and segments (proglottid). Each segment houses both male and female reproductive organs. Adult tapeworms are found in the intestines of…