'Vulnerable' peccaries find new home at zoo

The seven white-lipped peccaries will occupy a newly refurbished enclosure

A vulnerable species of peccaries has arrived at a zoo in Devon.

Dartmoor Zoo said it had acquired seven white-lipped peccaries, a pig-like animal, from Dudley Zoo and Castle.

The breed is considered vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature with a worldwide population of 5,000.

David Gibson, the chief executive of Dartmoor Zoo, said the arrival was a "major milestone for the zoo".

Found across Central and South America, peccaries live in places like tropical rainforests, wet and dry grasslands and mangroves.

Agricultural expansion, deforestation and hunting is blamed for declining numbers, with the latest IUCN assessment showing a decrease in numbers of almost 30% in the past three generations alone.

'Conservation dependent'

Mr Gibson said: "The arrival at Dartmoor Zoo of the UK’s only collection of white-lipped peccary is a major milestone for the zoo.

"It is the first time in the long history of the zoo that we have included peccaries, or indeed any pig-like species, in the collection.

"This symbolises our desire to focus on conservation dependent species and their arrival will be the first of many such developments over the coming years."

Three males and four females will occupy a newly refurbished enclosure

The mixed group of three males and four females will occupy a newly refurbished enclosure at the top of the drive, next to the zoo's Turkey oak.

Richard Brown, curator at Dudley Zoo and Castle, said they were "delighted" by the move.

“We feel very fortunate to have been able to house white-lipped peccary for the past 15 years at Dudley Zoo and Castle, but we’re delighted they’re heading to Dartmoor," he said.

"We look forward to following their future progress in their new home."