13 peccaries sail home to heal a Costa Rican forest

Veterinarian Dennise Ortiz Angulo was in the midst of a remarkable journey in Golfo Dulce, surrounded by shooting stars, bioluminescent water, and 13 white-lipped peccaries. Ortiz recounted feeling as though she was in the midst of a cinematic experience, similar to "Life of Pi." This momentous event followed years of meticulous preparation, quick decision-making under pressure, and a lengthy truck journey.

Accompanying the peccaries were a few other humans, as they navigated the final leg of their voyage from Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula to Piedras Blancas National Park. The peccaries had finally settled, allowing Ortiz a brief respite to take in the breathtaking surroundings - stars, glowing water, and a boat filled with vulnerable yet content animals.

These white-lipped peccaries had been captured carefully on the Osa Peninsula, where the species still thrives in significant numbers. Regrettably, Piedras Blancas had once been home to these peccaries, but their numbers dwindled due to hunting roughly 18 years ago. The ultimate objective was to reintroduce the peccaries to a forest across the water, an ecosystem that the animals themselves had helped create.

After crossing the Golfo Dulce by boat, the white-lipped peccaries were carefully unloaded at the shores of Piedras Blancas National Park. Peccaries possess a unique presence, often their scent preceding their visible presence. Their musky, garlicky aroma lingers in the forest once they have passed. In Costa Rica, peccary herds can consist of 70 to 100 animals, and in their broader range, they may number up to 300. Upon reaching Piedras Blancas, the herd commenced their exploration of the new environment.