Development of different production systems for the sustainable exploitation of the collared peccary-PECARI

The collared peccary (CP), Tayassu tajacu, is exploitive in Latin. America to meet the national demand for wild meat and to supply the export of pelts to international markets. This production comes often from uncontrolledharvest which can be detrimental to the viability of the enterprises and to the conservation of the CP. The project aims at improving the performances of CP production systems, which are currently unsatisfactory: (i) intensive small scale CP farming; (ii) extensive CP ranching in cattle and cocoa estates with remnant natural habitats. The project will provide the CP industry with the necessary biological data and appropriate management guidelines to overcome the limiting factors of the intensive CP breeding schemes. It will setup innovative CP ranching methods to increase CP production and to bring incentive for conserv ing natural habitats. A global analysis will determine the most productive, economically viable and ecologically sustainable system for each situation.