It's four for the Fourth of July at Hogle Zoo this year. Four new animals, male Chacoan peccaries (pronounced cha-KOE-in peck-AH-rees) are now on exhibit.
Located in the newly refurbished exhibit at the west end of the zoo, near the Bear Grotto and African Savannah exhibits, the four animals came to Utah from other zoos — two from St. Louis, two from Phoenix.
Two of the peccaries came from the St. Louis Zoo. "Walker" is 5 years old and weighs 71 pounds, while "Palito" is only 2 years old and weighs 57 pounds.
"Chili Pepper" and "Habanero" came from the Phoenix Zoo and weigh 66 pounds and 52 pounds respectively. They are both 2 years old.
Chacoan peccaries share a common ancestry with pigs but are not considered true pigs. The Chacoan peccary's head and snout are elongated, its hair is coarse and bristle-like and it has large ears. It is diurnal (active during the day) and tends to be most active in the early morning hours. It comes from the hot, dry regions of South America.
The Chacoan peccary is one of three peccary species. It was believed that these peccaries were extinct until they were found living in the Gran Chaco region of South America in the 1970s. They are considered endangered due to habitat loss and commercial trade for their meat.
Utah's Hogle Zoo, like several others across the country, is participating in the American Zoo and Aquarium Association's "Species Survival Plan" (SSP) for Chacoan peccaries. Conserving and managing captive populations will help ensure their survival for years to come.
For information, call 582-1631 or go online to: www.hoglezoo.org.