Highly Endangered Species Welcomes 3 New Babies At Elmwood Zoo

NORRISTOWN, PA — Elmwood Park Zoo is a place of fun and games for numerous species of animals and humans alike, but a very serious mission underpins their work.

That mission was brought to the forefront again this weekend when the zoo welcomed the birth of three new members of a critically endangered species, the Chacoan peccary.

Three new baby peclets were welcomed on Saturday. They are healthy and reportedly settling in to their new environs, though the small stretch of their enclosure will not be open to public viewing for a few days.

"The path to the peccary enclosure will be closed through this weekend as our little ones continue to become familiar with their new home," the zoo said in an announcement.

The rare species of peccary was thought to be extinct as recently as 1971, according to wildlife biologists. Elmwood and other zoos around the country have joined in a combined Species Survival Program, though it's believed there are only about 3,000 Chacoans extant today.

The species is found in the wild only in the Grand Chaco region of South America, a hot and dry desert-like environment covering parts of Paraguay, Bolivia, and Argentina.