The white lipped peccary: to the average person this animal might just look like a wild pig, not too pleasant to look at. But the truth is that these funny looking creatures are a vital element for the health of forest ecosystems in the Mesoamerica region. Their function as fruit predators and as food base for several wild cats are crucial for biodiversity in the region. However, a press release issued today by the Wildlife Conservation Society in Belize says that a new report shows that White-Lipped peccaries have been eliminated from 87% of their historical range in the Mesoamerica region. Forest fragmentation and unsustainable hunting practices have caused their numbers to dwindle and teeter on the brink of extinction.
Reports of continued decline of the species caused great concern among experts that the previous assessment as 'Vulnerable' under the IUCN red list of Threatened Species has been inadequate to respond to the growing issue. As a result, an international study was conducted with participants from all 7 countries in which the White Lipped peccary is found. University of Belize, represented the Belizean delegation in this study.
According to the report published, the results of this study are already informing revisions in wildlife protection laws and hunting regulations in Guatemala and Belize. In addition it has noted that it is a critical time for the survival of the White Lipped peccary and forest diversity by extension; as stable herds, according to the study conducted, can now only be found in two of five wildernesses in Mesoamerica: the Tri-national Maya Forest in Belize, Mexico and Guatemala; and the El Darién in Panama.
