White-lipped peccaries are recorded at Iguacu National Park after 20 years

Abstract

The white-lipped peccary (WLP) is the most endangered ungulate in the Neotropics. In the recent years, this species has undergone a large reduction in range size and experienced the loss of several populations. An emblematic case was the local extinction of this species from the Iguacu National Park (INP) in the mid-1990s. After the report of this particular WLP disappearance, surveys conducted along the 2000s confirmed its absence in the park. However, in 2016, after 20 years of previous reports, we obtained five records of WLP herds, indicating a possible population recovery probably resulting from emigration. To effectively re-establish white-lipped peccary population and, consequently, restore its ecological role, urgent practical conservation measures are necessary.