| San Diego Zoo Goes Wild For Red River Hog Piglets |
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| Written by San Diego Zoo | |
| Thursday, 19 June 2008 | |
| Four red river hogs piglets at the San Diego Zoo are receiving solid food, including milk pellets and fruits from animal care managers as part of their weaning process. Born on April 27, the piglets were fully mobile from day one, with their eyes open and several teeth in place. The two male and two female piglets resemble brown striped watermelons and are often seen playing together on exhibit in the Ituri Forest area of the Zoo. Red river hog piglets get their striped and spotted look through a combination of dark skin and light hair.This coloring helps young red river hogs blend into their rain forest habitat in central and western Africa. These wild pigs get their name from their behavior of wallowing in ponds and streams and the color of their coat when they mature. As the Zoo’s four piglets grow older, their red, shaggy coat will grow in, and their markings will consist of a raised, white mane that runs the length of the spine and black and white tassels on the tips of their leaf-shaped ears. They will also grow dark rings around their eyes. All three of these features are defense mechanisms to make the red river hog appear larger to natural predators such as hyenas, leopards and lions. "These red river hogs are very smart." said Nerissa Foland. San Diego Zoo senior keeper. " We estimate they have the intelligence of a 3-year-old human. To keep them engaged and active, keepers smear items like baby food and spices throughout the exhibit for the pigs to enjoy." While red river hogs are mostly active at night in the wild, visitors to the San Diego Zoo can see them throughout the day as they forage for food hidden in enrichment items such as balls and barrels.The 100-acre San Diego Zoo is operated by the not-for-profit Zoological Society of San Diego. The Zoological Society, dedicated to the conservation of endangered species and their habitats, engages in conservation and research work around the globe. The Zoological Society also manages the 1,800-acre San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park (more than half of which has been set aside as protected native species habitat) and the center for Conservation and Research for Endangered Species (CRES). The important conservation and science work of these entities is supported in part by the Foundation for the Zoological Society of San Diego. |
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