Months after their birth, the warthog piglets at Zoo Atlanta now have names.
Daphne, Penelope and Eloise were born at the zoo on April 13. Their births were announced later that month. They are the first litter for parents Eleanor and Hamlet.
The piglets “chose” their names with an enrichment activity. When they and their parents entered the habitat, they found three large balls, each labeled with the letters D, P or E. The letters represented names picked by their keepers. The first ball a piglet touched became their name.
The piglets can usually be seen with their parents in the African Savanna habitat.
When their births were announced, Jennifer Mickelberg, Ph.D., Vice President of Collections and Conservation, said the habitat “highlights the interconnectedness of all life. We can’t think of a better way to celebrate that connection than with new life.”
The warthog piglets were 7 weeks old when they initially appeared in the habitat.
Warthogs are native to sub-Saharan Africa. They’re widespread in the wild, but populations are in decline, as a result of drought, desertification and human-caused habitat loss and habitat fragmentation. The mammals are very resilient and more adaptable to human activities than most other species in their ecosystem.
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