Elmwood Zoo Peccary, One Of The Oldest On Record, Dies At 19

NORRISTOWN, PA — A peccary at Elmwood Park Zoo, one of the oldest of his kind on record, has died at the age of 19.

The animal, named George, had been at Elmwood since 2011, where he's been a companion to the zoo's other peccary, Joanie.

The average life expectancy of peccaries in wild is just 9 years.

Peccaries, also called javelinas or skunk pigs, come in many shapes and sizes. Both George and Joanie were an endangered species, called Chacoan peccary, which is the oldest and least common of the three species of peccary.

It's estimated that just 3,000 Chacoan peccaries live in the wild. Both George and Joanie are part of the Chacoan Species Survival Plan, a joint conservation effort between Elmwood and other zoos to maintain viable population levels.

The species is native only to specific stretch of South America that includes parts of Paraguay, Bolivia, and Argentina.

George's cause of death was not immediately announced. He passed away suddenly during a routine exam, the zoo said, and a pathology is underway.

You can still visit Joanie at Elmwood Zoo. She is on the west side, adjacent to the squirrel monkey exhibit.