In 2020, the Tapir TAG joined with the Wild Pig, Peccary and Hippo TAG.
The suborder Suiformes includes two distinct extant families within the order Artiodactyla: the family Suidae, with 19 species of wild pigs that inhabit every continent except Australia, and the family Tayassuidae, with three species of peccaries ranging from North America to South America. Suiformes also formerly included the family Hippopotamidae, with two species found in Africa, and this AZA TAG continues to include hippos (even though they are now believed to align most closely with whales and dolphins).
The species represented by this TAG have adapted to a wide variety of habitats that include grasslands, tropical forests, woodlands, deserts and river systems. Of the 24 species in the three families, twelve (50%) of these species are either Threatened or Endangered. All twelve of these species (and many related subspecies) are in need of conservation attention, yet only six of them have active conservation support either through the efforts of local Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) or through zoological and NGO partnerships.
The Wild Pig, Peccary, and Hippo TAG supports the work of the IUCN Specialist Groups for Wild Pigs, Peccaries, and Hippos (once covered under a single Specialist Group, but now split into separate entities). Just like with this TAG, however, the specialist groups have pooled their resources on a fantastic website that features species information, conservation programs, and an informative newsletter, Suiform Soundings (latest issue: February 2019).
AZA Wild Pig, Peccary, and Hippo TAG Mission Statement
To provide guidance and recommendations to AZA institutions regarding captive
management of wild pigs, peccaries and hippos in North America, and to facilitate
activities and programs that support global pig, peccary and hippo conservation.