African Red River Hog Piglets Are a First for Zoo Miami
March 06, 2014
Zoo Miami is celebrating the birth of five African Red River Hogs! The three males and two females were born on February 28 and are the first of this species ever born at Zoo Miami.
The first-time mother, three-year-old Penny, was born at the Oklahoma City Zoo. The first-time father is two-year-old Baloo, who was born at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. The mother and her piglets are presently separated from the rest of the group and will remain off-exhibit for a little while until the staff feel that mother and babies have bonded well and are secure with their surroundings. Penny is being an excellent mother and is very attentive to the piglets.
Photo credit: Zoo Miami
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Red River Hogs are a common wild pig found throughout the rainforests, wet savannas, and waterways of western and central Africa. They get their name from their coarse red hair and their tendency to live along the water. They have a very elongated snout and very large ears with a long tuft of hair at the tips. They are very social animals found in groups, called sounders, of up to 20 individuals. They feed on a wide range of foods including roots, fruits, grasses, small animals, insects, and sometimes carrion. Their gestation period is approximately 4 months and the average litter size is two to four piglets. Red River Hogs can live over 20 years in captivity.