Impact of behavioral differences on white-lipped peccary reintroduction success in the Atlantic forest

Abstract

Some studies suggest that behavioral variation among animals destined for reintroduction programs could influence their post-release survival and overall reintroduction success. Therefore, we aimed to test whether individual behavioral differences in white-lipped peccaries (Tayassu pecari - WLPs) influence their exploratory and dispersal behavior after reintroduction. Using a standard ethological approach, we described the behavioral traits of 17 captive WLPs along three dimensions: aggressiveness, exploration, and sociability. Then, using spatial and temporal unpredictability of food supply, we subjected the animals to 90 days of pre-release training. Following this, we moved the WLPs to a pre-release enclosure at the release site in a remnant area of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. In this enclosure, we maintained spatial and temporal unpredictability to provide locally available fruits and roots using the soft release technique. After 32 days, we released the WLPs and tracked their movements for the next 12 months. As expected, WLPs displayed individual behavioral variation across the three dimensions analyzed. While sex and age did not affect their behavioral trait scores, an increase in body weight was associated with heightened aggressiveness. The least sociable WLPs were the first ones to explore and disperse in the release site. Our results showed that the individual behavioral variation indeed influences the exploration and dispersal of reintroduced WLPs. Therefore, to increase the chances of successful reintroduction, it is necessary to develop pre-release training strategies that are tailored to the behavioral traits of the individuals.