Odense Zoo

These Little Piggies. . .Were Born at the Odense Zoo

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Denmark’s Odense Zoo welcomed five Miniature Pig babies on November 20.  The Piglets are thriving under the care of their mother, and are getting accustomed to their home in the zoo’s farmhouse.

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10835297_10152853438769647_6364185212782523283_oPhoto Credit:  Odense Zoo

Miniature Pigs are popular as pets or on small farms, and though they can weigh up to 200 pounds as adults, are far smaller than a typical domestic pig.  Pigs are intelligent animals and can be house-trained and to perform behaviors. 

Like all Pigs, Miniature Pigs have an excellent sense of smell.  They use their stubby snouts to dig for roots and tubers, and will also feed on a variety of plant material and small animals.

See more photos of the Piglets below.

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Odense Zoo Welcomes Baby Giraffe

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Denmark’s Odense Zoo enjoyed a mid-winter boost when a Giraffe calf was born on February 20. The female baby weighs 132 pounds (60 kg) and stands about five-and-a-half feet (170 cm) tall.   

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Photo Credit:  Odense Zoo

The Odense Zoo staff eagerly awaited the arrival of this little calf.  The calf’s mother and father are both first-time parents, but they’ve adjusted well to their new roles.  With this most recent baby, the zoo now has seven Giraffes, including two other calves born since 2011 when a new African exhibit opened at the zoo. 

Giraffes are the world’s tallest land animals, well adapted for foraging in the treetops on savannahs south of Africa’s Sahara desert.  Acacia leaves are among their favorites, despite formidable thorns on the trees’ branches.  Giraffes strip the leaves from the branches with their 18-inch-long tongue.

Giraffes gather in loose groups on the savannah, providing a distinct advantage for each individual:  many pairs of eyes can survey the area for potential threats, such as lions. 

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