Spatial patterns of the first groups of collared peccaries (Pecari tajacu) reintroduced in South America

Abstract

The collared peccary (Pecari tajacu) is distributed from southwestern USA to northern Argentina; however, in some Argentinean localities it went extinct over 50 years ago. As part of a rewilding project, two peccary groups (one captive-bred family group and one mixed group formed by not genetically related individuals) were reintroduced to the Ibera National Park. Following the release, we monitored the movements of 16 individuals to obtain GPS locations every 100 min, for 6 months. We evaluated the individual's spatial patterns by assessing site fidelity, home range changes, and habitat selection. Most members of the family group survived and established a home range whereas almost all members of the mixed group dispersed and did not survive. Using the Autocorrelated Kernel Density Estimator, the groups' home range was 8.9 ± 1.7 km 2 for the entire study period. In addition, individuals showed high fidelity to release site and a stable home range a few months after release. At larger scales (second order of selection), peccaries selected forested habitat and proximity to release site while at a smaller scale (third order of selection), they avoided grasslands. We highlight the importance of familiarity of individuals prior to release and provide recommendations for future reintroductions. Three years later, by September 2019, nine groups were established in the Ibera National Park and the abundance was over 45 individuals. This is the first postrelease assessment of the movement patterns of collared peccaries in South America.

The influence of climate and the presence of predators on the daily activity pattern of collared peccaries (Dicotyles tajacu, Cetartiodactyla)

“…A diurnal activity pattern for collared peccaries was also observed in a study conducted at the Sonora desert (Arizona, USA), but only in the months with mild temperatures; in months with higher temperatures, collared peccaries showed a more cathemeral pattern of activity (Bigler, 1974). In Argentina, a group of reintroduced collared peccaries showed a diurnal activity pattern throughout the year independently of the temperature (Hurtado et al, 2018), a pattern similar to the one found in the present study. Thus, it seems that collared peccaries' activity patterns vary depending on the study area and that some characteristics, like the climate, can influence these patterns.…”

“…Among the Tayassuidae, the collared peccary is the species capable of occupying the greatest diversity of habitats, from humid forests to semi‐arid regions, including environments altered by human activities, except those that are extremely altered (Sowls, 2013). Collared peccary home range varies from 150 to 250 ha (Hurtado et al., 2018; Judas & Henry, 1999).…”

Detection of non-tuberculous mycobacteria in native wildlife species at conservation risk of Argentina

“…Uncontrolled sport hunting and the reduction of forested areas are among the leading causes of its disappearance. Lastly, the collared peccary ( Pecari tajacu ) is involved in reintroduction programs ( 14 , 19 ) and is also classified as a threatened species, with its primary threat being hunting ( 17 ).…”