Chacoan Peccary - Meet The Endangered
Chacoan Peccary (Catagonus wagneri)
Peccaries are New World relatives of pigs, boars, and other suids. The Chacoan Peccary was once thought to be extinct. Scientists only discovered the animal as a living species in 1971, though it had always been known to locals.
Alternatively called the taguá, this stout, resilient peccary is native to the Gran Chaco region of South America - shared between Argentina, Paraguay, and Bolivia. It is highly adapted to scrubland, eating a diet primarily of cacti - which also provide 90% of its water needs. It vaunts an advanced nose for dust filtering and a third toe for better traction in sand.
Only around 3,000 individuals remain. The Chacoan Peccary is most threatened by the transmutation of its scrublands into cattle ranches. Another factor working against the species is its deliciousness. Its meat is leaner and more flavorful than pork, and is preferred for making traditional regional recipes.
IUCN: Endangered (EN)
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