Zoo Atlanta welcomes three new baby warthog piglets
Eleanor with her three new baby piglets (Courtesy of Zoo Atlanta)
ATLANTA - Zoo Atlanta is celebrating the first three births to arrive at its new expanded African Savannah earlier in April.
Zoo officials say Eleanor the warthog gave birth to a litter of piglets on April 13, 2021.
The three little girls are the first offspring for 7-year-old Eleanor and the father, 2-year-old Hamlet. They're the first warthog piglets born at the Zoo since Eleanor's own litter to the late Shirley and Vern in 2014.
"We are thrilled to welcome warthog piglets to Eleanor and Hamlet and to our African Savanna," said Jennifer Mickelberg, PhD, the zoo's vice president of collections and conservation.
Officials say Eleanor is acting as a protective mother and is continuing to bond with her little girls. The piglets will remain behind the scenes and not visible to guests for a while.
Wild warthogs are native to sub-Saharan Africa. Though facing declines due to drought, desertification, and habitat loss, officials say they are highly resilient animals and very adaptable to human activities.
Zoo Atlanta is currently open with time ticketing and masks required for all visitors ages 2 and up.
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