Red River hoglet meets family at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo's Red River hoglet meets its family as it grows and gets used to zoo life.
The zoo shared new videos showing off the baby's progress.
Our little 3-week-old hoglet is growing quickly and becoming very curious! #ICYMI, our little hoglet recently explored outside and met its whole family! Check out here: https://t.co/2RZ44q0eNe. pic.twitter.com/4ptoJo4YyS
— CheyenneMountainZoo (@CheyenneMtnZoo) September 6, 2022
In a video posted to the zoo's Facebook page, keepers say the hoglet made its outdoor debut in African Rift Valley on September 1 and met its dad and older sister for the first time. Keepers also say the baby was curious and imitated other Red River hogs when they picked up food and moved things with their snouts.
The hoglet was born in good health on August 12 to eight-year-old Zena and 15-year-old Huey. “We are over the moon with excitement for this little one,” said Lauren Phillippi, lead keeper in African Rift Valley. “Red River hog babies are some of the cutest in the whole animal kingdom with their little stripes, tiny statures, and energetic behaviors.”
Red River hoglets have bright orange coats like their parents, but with brown and white stripes and spots that run the length of their bodies. Those stripes and spots act as camouflage until they usually fade around six months of age.
Zena’s keepers say she is nursing the baby regularly and nuzzles and cleans it. The baby’s sex has not been identified and likely won’t be for another few weeks. The baby is still unnamed.
This is Zena’s second hoglet after Pinto, who was born at the zoo in 2021.
