A pile of horse dung is no longer just a pile of horse dung–it is now the stage for the fatal ambush of nematode (roundworm) larvae by a predatory fungus, worthy of screen time on the “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom” nature show.

According to a research group based in Australia, if you feed your horse spores of the fungus Duddingtonia flagrans, the spores pass harmlessly through the digestive tract and are deposited in the feces along with eggs shed by adult intestinal parasites.

“The natural fungus Duddingtonia flagrans belongs to a group of nematophagous (worm-eating) fungi that physically entrap nematode larvae by means of adhesive hyphal nets (threadlike filaments in a fungus) before paralyzing and consuming them,” relayed Kevin Healey, the research and development manager of International Animal Health Products Pty Ltd, located in Sydney, New South Wales.

“This product, which is still in development, will be effective against gastrointestinal nematodes of horses such as small strongyles,” said Healey, “including parasite populations which have acquired resistance to chemical dewormers