Troncovaca

Notiomastodon latidens, also known as "lowland tusker" or colloquially as "troncovaca," is a cow-sized gompothere native to the dry broadleaf forests of Meridia, and one of the few extant proboscideans native to the New World. These gomphotheres live in matriarchal herds similar to elephants, often numbering twenty members and congregating into massive "super herds" of hundreds of individuals during the rainy season. Bulls are largely solitary, though particularly old individuals may sometimes be accompanied by younger males to form small bachelor herds. This species is so named for its broad tusks, which splay outwards before curving back in, similar to distantly related mammoth species. Notiomastodon latidens was one of the few species not extensively hunted by indigenous groups due to the perceived family structure of the animals, elevating them to prey taken only during times of dire need. During European colonization, Notiomastodon latidens populations were nearly extincted due to unsustainable hunting and land clearing for cattle pastures. Regulations have since allowed interior populations to somewhat recover, but northeastern populations have been completely wiped out, and as such are candidates for rewilding efforts.