SALISBURY, Md. - The Salisbury Zoo has announced the arrival of a herd of Chacoan peccaries, the first time the endangered species has been seen in the Zoo’s animal collection.
Native to the South American Gran Chaco region of Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay, Chacoan peccaries are distant relatives of pigs and sometimes described as “pig-adjacent,” according to Zoo officials. Their native habitat is hot, dry, scrubland environments.
Due to rapid habitat loss and population separation, the Zoo says there are fewer than 3,000 Chacoan peccaries left in the wild. The new herd at the Salisbury Zoo is part of a cooperative species-management effort.
“It is our privilege to care for these charismatic animals and to bring awareness to the plight of their wild counterparts,” Luke Krider, Salisbury Zoo Collection Curator said. “We are proud to contribute to long-term survival, sustainability and health of the Chacoan peccary in human care and in the wild.”
A series of extensive upgrades to the Zoo’s existing habitat were completed ahead of the peccaries’ arrival, and the interior holding building was also renovated. Zoo officials say visitors will be able to view the species indoors in all seasons thanks to a newly installed public viewing window.
The new arrivals’ names are Fern, Wilma, Anjie, Adzuki, and Jelly. The five peccaries can now be seen in the South America habitat across the boardwalk from the Zoo’s bison and greater rhea.
