A health evaluation in a colony of captive collared peccaries (Tayassu tajacu) in the Eastern Amazon.
This study pretends to determine baseline data on the health and mortality of a colony of captive collared peccaries in the Eastern Amazon (Belém, State of Pará, Brazil) during a 65-months survey. Thirty-nine out of 166 animals (23.5%) died and were examined post-mortem. Monthly mortality averaged 1.2%. The highest mortality rate was observed in newborns (74.4%). Abandonment by the mother and aggression were responsible for 24.1% and 13.8% of the total newborn deaths, respectively. Most frequent causes of non-neonatal death were food poisoning (50.0%) due to an episode of accidental bitter cassava leaves ingestion and traumatism due to aggressions between animals (10.0%). Results from serology for different infectious diseases showed that 4.9% (2/41) collared peccaries had antibodies against Brucella spp. and 9.8% (4/41) animals had antibodies to two different Leptospira spp. serovars, butembo and autumnalis. This is the first survey of morbidity and mortality in captive collared peccaries in the Amazon region.
Department of Animal Health and Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary, Campus Universitario, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08913 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain. pedrogines.mayor@uab.es
Pedro
P
Mayor
Yvonnick
Y
Le Pendu
Diva Anelie
DA
Guimarães
Jurupytan Viana
JV
da Silva
Hilma Lucia
HL
Tavares
Montse
M
Tello
Washington
W
Pereira
Manel
M
López-Béjar
Ferran
F
Jori
D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D001188:Artiodactyla / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D001938:Brazil; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009026:Mortality; D012098:Reproduction; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D014329:Tropical Climate