344 WILD BEASTS OF THE WORLD 



In general habits and attributes it closely resembles its relative, as 

 might be expected, but it is very much more fierce and aggressive. 

 It has, indeed, been suggested that this is due to the fact that it 

 usually associates in much larger herds, so that it is more conscious of 

 strong support, but it is probable that there really is some difference 

 of disposition in any case. At any rate, there was once a specimen of 

 the White-Lipped Peccary in the Calcutta Zoological Garden which had 

 a very adventurous career and showed a very unpleasant character. It 

 at first lived in friendship with a Malayan Tapir, but ultimately 

 seriously injured its large companion ; it was then associated with a 

 Rhinoceros, but was soon apparently bored by the monster's company 

 and jumped over a three-foot wall into the next paddock. Here its 

 companions were a pair of Spotted Deer {Cervus axis), which were 

 quite ready to be civil, but were often annoyed by their uninvited guest. 

 This state of things went on for nearly two years, when a nip on the 

 nose so provoked the buck that he fatally gored the peccant Peccary 

 and terminated its variegated career. This species, although not 

 so common in captivity as the other, has yet been exhibited at 

 the London Zoological Gardens, and has produced hybrids with it. 

 Peccaries, however, will not interbreed with ordinary Pigs. 



