ABSTRACT
Abstract Minilivestock represents a promising sector of animal production as it provides the opportunity to cope with the increasing food demand in the developing world. In the state of Amazonas, Venezuela the Amerindian communities are facing conflicts with new settlers for the use of natural resources, which is lead ing to overexploitation of the existing biodiversity, a reduction in wildlife popu lations, and transformation of the rainforest into poor quality cultivable land. Reductions in the wild populations of pacas (Agouti paca) and agoutis (Dasyprocta spp.) induced the enactment of a statute to promote the protection of the paca, the most threatened species. Although subsistence hunting is allowed to indig enous people in the current situation, its original meaning has changed, result ing in progressive depletion of the wild populations. In this context, breeding under human control of pacas and agoutis could offer a chance to local people to increase their incomes and could also represent an opportunity to reduce hunting pressure.
