Responses of two sympatric species of peccaries (Tayassu pecari and pecari tajacu) to hunting in Calakmul, Mexico

Abstract

The white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari) and the collared peccary (Pecari tajacu) are social ungulates of great ecological and economic importance. Both species represent important sources of animal protein in the diet of indigenous and rural communities in Neotropical forests, which has contributed to reducing their populations throughout their geographic distribution. It is still not well understood how the social ecology of peccaries is affected by hunting. This study analyzed the relationship between hunting and group size, group composition, daily activity patterns, and the relative abundance of the two peccary species. Camera-traps and direct observation were used from February 2014 through February 2015 in two sites differing in their degree of protection and hunting pressure: the first was Calakmul Biosphere Reserve (a site with no hunting) and the second was the community of Nuevo Becal (a hunting site). Our analyses suggest that hunting negatively affects group size, structure, composition and the relative abundance of both peccary species. We propose that management and conservation plans, particularly for key resources such as water, and monitoring and hunting controls in the habitats of both peccary species, might ensure their survival in the Calakmul region.