Zoo Miami Baby Warthogs Make Exhibit Debut
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- Zoo Miami has some new residents on exhibit. Warthog piglets that were born on June 20th made their debut Tuesday alongside their parents.
At six weeks old, the four piglets (one female and three males) eagerly explored the exhibit while rutting around in the soil and tasting some of the fresh vegetation while under the watchful eye of their parents.
The three year old mother named, "Erica," is from the Indianapolis Zoo and the three year old father named, "Beebop," is from the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. These are the first offspring for both parents and the second successful birth of warthogs at Zoo Miami.
PIX: ZOO MIAMI'S BABY WARTHOGS MAKE EXHIBIT DEBUT
Warthogs are found through much of sub-Saharan Africa and reached a great deal of notoriety following the release of Disney's hit film, "The Lion King," which starred a lovable warthog named "Pumba." Though not naturally aggressive, these wild pigs are quite capable of protecting themselves with large, powerful tusks which they normally use to tear up the ground in search of roots and grubs and to establish dominance between them. Males develop considerably larger tusks than the females. The name warthog is a bit misleading because the protrusions that come out of the sides of their head are not actual warts but rather fatty, granular tissue.
The plan is to give the entire family access to the exhibit each day in the mornings and progressively increase the amount of time on the exhibit as they become more comfortable with their new surroundings
