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The animal known as peccary drew attention this week when a group attacked a hunter who was on the border between Sena Madureira and the state of Amazonas, causing the man to be hospitalized.
The animals live in groups of up to 300 specimens/Photo: Pete Oxford
But what led the group of animals to attack the man? How do peccaries behave? Are they common in the Amazon region? ContilNet spoke with the professor specializing in mammals at the Federal University of Acre, Armando Muniz.
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Muniz explains that the greatest dangers involving peccaries are large groups, which can reach around 300 animals in exceptional cases, but that groups of 100 to 200 animals are easily found in areas where there is no predatory hunting.
“As these groups are very large, they also have to cover a large area (to find resources). So in the interior, it is very common when peccaries pass through the fields and they destroy the fields, so people end up hunting”, he explains.
He also reveals that they are aggressive animals and that they often corner animals and even human beings that they consider to be an enemy. Peccaries are also considered very strong animals for their size.
The professor is a mammal specialist at the Federal University of Acre/Photo: Provided
“So it is dangerous to encounter these animals and be cornered by them (…) These animals are aggressive, they are not bred in captivity because of that, they are very aggressive, they are very strong too, so they are animals that you have to be careful with. when found in nature because they don’t walk alone, they walk in packs, so packs can attack a person if they feel threatened”, he highlights.
Regarding possible encounters with the animal, the teacher warns about what should not be done, such as chasing the group of animals. “Don’t try to scare them away by shouting and running towards them. Try to escape to the opposite side, where there are fewer animals”, he warns.
Without the possibility of escaping to the opposite side, the researcher warns that the best option to protect oneself from these animals is always to climb trees or high places, as they do not have the ability to climb and cannot move their neck, thus losing their grip. eye contact with the human being.
Learn more about peccaries!
The peccaries (Tayassu pecari) are mammals whose characteristics are their topknot and the chattering of their teeth. It is also the largest animal in the wild pig family present in South America, with some specimens reaching 40 kilos. Furthermore, its physical construction, with short legs, compact body and slightly more elongated snout are striking and can reach, on average, at 13 years old.
They are also known by the following names: red peccary, red chin, red cinnamon, sabucu, tacuité, taiaçu, tajaçu, tanhaçu, tanhocati, taguicati, tiririca, wild pig and peccary.
The animal is found in several regions of the country, such as the Amazon, Atlantic Forest, Cerrado, Pantanal and Caatinga. Despite this, the species faces the risk of disappearance, due to loss of space within the biomes in which it lives and illegal hunting, as it is often confused with wild boars.
Animals can walk in groups that have more than a hundred members/Photo: Reproduction
In addition to Brazil, they can also be found in Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela, within the American continent.
Peccaries feed, most commonly, on fruits, vegetables, invertebrates, fungi and fish and baby birds, thus having a diet classified as omnivorous.
Regarding the size of the animal, the body can vary from 90 to 139 centimeters, starting from the snout to the tip of the tail, while in relation to its height, it is around 40 to 60 centimeters.
