Extinct in Uruguay for a century, the collared peccary (Pecari tajacu) is attempting a return following the reintroduction last month of 100 of the small but stout, salt-and-pepper colored animals with the distinctive white marking on their shoulders and neck. The release, carried out in secret in late June, occurred in western Uruguay’s Paysandú department. It marked a major milestone in a 15-year process that began with a half-dozen peccaries, brought in from Argentina and Paraguay to ensure genetic diversity, and the eventual development of a herd of 400. But the project, a joint effort of M’Bopicuá—a private nature reserve in the neighboring department of Rio Negro—and Uruguay’s National Environmental Directorate (Dinama), suffered an immediate setback. On July 27... [Log in to read more]