Parasites can cause severe host morbidity and threaten survival. As
parasites are generally aggregated within certain host demographics,
they are likely to affect a small proportion of the entire population,
with specific hosts being at particular risk. However, little is known
as to whether increased host mortality from parasitic causes is
experienced by specific host demographics. Outside of theoretical
studies, there is a paucity of literature concerning dynamics of
parasite-associated host mortality. Empirical evidence mainly focuses on
short-lived hosts or model systems, with data lacking from long-lived
wild or semi-wild vertebrate populations. We investigated
parasite-associated mortality utilizing a multigenerational database of
mortality, health, and reproductive data for over 4,000 semi-captive
timber elephants (Elephas maximus), with known causes of death
for mortality events. We determined variation in mortality according to a
number of host traits that are commonly associated with variation in
parasitism within mammals: age, sex, and reproductive investment in
females. We found that potentially parasite-associated mortality varied
significantly across elephant ages, with individuals at extremes of
lifespan (young and old) at highest risk. Mortality probability was
significantly higher for males across all ages. Female reproducers
experienced a lower probability of potentially parasite-associated
mortality than females who did not reproduce at any investigated time
frame. Our results demonstrate increased potentially parasite-associated
mortality within particular demographic groups. These groups (males,
juveniles, elderly adults) have been identified in other studies as
susceptible to parasitism, stressing the need for further work
investigating links between infection and mortality. Furthermore, we
show variation between reproductive and non-reproductive females, with
mothers being less at risk of potentially parasite mortality than
nonreproducers.