Warthog piglets’ first adventures in habitat!

The 7-week-old warthog piglets at Zoo Atlanta are embarking on their first adventures exploring their habitat in the Zoo’s African Savanna. This week marks the piglets’ first forays into the area since their birth on April 13, 2021.

The time the piglets spend in the habitat is primarily driven by their mother, Eleanor, who is an excellent first-time parent and is very protective of her offspring. While there is not yet a guarantee of seeing the piglets, lucky Members and guests may enjoy sightings which should increase as the weeks go on and the group adjusts to their new surroundings.

The piglets, all female, do not yet have names. Future milestones will include opportunities to meet their father, Hamlet, who has not yet been introduced to the piglets. The piglets are the first litter for Eleanor and Hamlet.

Native to sub-Saharan Africa, warthogs are currently widespread in the wild, but populations are in decline as a result of drought, desertification, and human-caused habitat loss and habitat fragmentation. Warthogs are highly resilient animals and are more adaptable to human activities than are most of the other mammals that share their grasslands ecosystem.

The Zoo’s African Savanna features new habitats for African elephants, giraffes, zebras, ostriches, meerkats, and southern white rhino. Zoo Atlanta is open daily with protocols in place to promote wellness, including timed ticketing; hand-sanitizing stations throughout grounds; and signage and other aids to promote social distancing. Masks are recommended for general admission and are required for ages 2 and up for certain optional in-Zoo experiences such as giraffe feeding, Treetop Trail presented by Kaiser Permanente, and all education programs, including Wild Encounters.

The warthog piglets join several exciting new arrivals at Zoo Atlanta in 2021. Their fellow Zoo babies include an Angolan colobus infant; twin golden lion tamarins; a crowned lemur infant; a hooded vulture chick; golden-breasted starling chicks; a tawny frogmouth chick; and a lappet-faced vulture chick.

Learn more or reserve tickets at zooatlanta.org.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Rachel Davis, Director of Communications
404.624.2812 – office
404.309.2238 – cell
rdavis@zooatlanta.org

Gavin Johnson
Public Relations and Communications Specialist
404.624.5980 – office
gjohnson@zooatlanta.org

About Zoo Atlanta
A proud accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the gold standard for animal care and welfare, Zoo Atlanta has a mission to save wildlife and their habitats through conservation, research, education, and engaging experiences. The Zoo is home to more than 1,000 animals representing more than 200 species from around the world, many of them endangered or critically endangered. Highlights include giant pandas, including Ya Lun and Xi Lun, the only giant panda twins in the U.S.; one of North America’s largest zoological populations of great apes; and a global center of excellence for the care and study of reptiles and amphibians. Recent transformations include the new African Savanna, featuring new and expanded habitats for African elephants, giraffes, zebras, ostriches, warthogs, meerkats, and rhinos; Savanna Hall, a state-of-the-art special event destination in the newly restored historic former home of the Atlanta Cyclorama; and the new Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Plaza. For more information, visit zooatlanta.org.