Collared Peccary

Collared Peccary (Photo by Karanambu Trust and Panthera)

Rain forests are rich in biodiversity and are home to many different plants and animals as well as indigenous communities. Humans, even those who don’t live in the rain forest, rely on it for resources such as building materials (wood and lianas), medicine and fruits. Rain forests also provide essential environmental services for life on earth; they create soil as well as prevent soil erosion, produce oxygen though photosynthesis, maintain clean water systems, and are a key defence against climate change. 

The Iwokrama Rain Forest is 371,000 hectares, located in the heart of Guyana.  Our mission is to develop strategies for conservation and sustainable development for local people in Guyana and the world at large. We are involved in timber, tourism and training.  Come and visit us in the rain forest or at http://www.iwokrama.org.

Peccaries are large, chunky animals with slender legs, large heads, thick necks and a short, almost invisible tail. They have large sharp canines and the upper ones point downwards.  Their closest relations are pigs but they are in a separate family.

Unlike pigs, peccaries have small litters, usually one or two, which follow their mother shortly after birth. In Guyana,