Edinburgh Zoo Celebrate Birth of Endangered Warty Pigs

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland have celebrated the birth of four Visayan warty pigs at Edinburgh Zoo. The critically endangered arrivals were born to parents Nikki and Elvis on June 25th 2023. Keepers report they are doing well and will soon be named.

Elvis was welcomed to Edinburgh in January 2023 from the now closed Bristol Zoo Gardens. This is a second litter for Nikki who welcomed another piglet with male Jacques in 2021.

Jonny Appleyard, hoofstock team leader at Edinburgh Zoo said, “We are so excited to welcome Nikki and Elvis’ piglets. Our Visayan warty pigs are full of character, and our four new arrivals are no exception. Once they receive their first health check in the coming weeks we will know if they are boys or girls.”

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature list the Visayan warty pig as critically endangered. Just 200 of these animals now live on two islands in the Philippines.

Jonny added, “Agricultural expansion and logging have devastated vast amounts of their habitat and they are also hunted for their meat, making them one of the rarest wild pigs in the world. We are excited to welcome four piglets who will act as incredible ambassadors for their species in the wild, inspiring more people to protect, value and love nature.”

At present the piglets are reliant on Nikki and the new family spend much of their time inside. In coming weeks they will start to spend more time outside and guests may get to meet them. With the new arrivals guests can find 10 Visayan warty pigs at Edinburgh Zoo.