Late last month, two female warthogs took a road trip from Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens to their new home at Chattanooga Zoo.
Big Girl and Peanut, mother and daughter, have joined Everett the male warthog on exhibit in the Zoo’s new Cape of Africa section.
“We just opened The Cape of Africa last August, so I’m thrilled that we are already adding new animals to the expansion,” said Darde Long, president and CEO of Chattanooga Zoo. “Everett has been such a wonderful addition to the family, and a big hit with guests, so I am excited for the community to meet Peanut and Big Girl.”
Chattanooga Zoo worked with Hemker Park and Zoo, a facility that also offers animal transportation services, to transport the warthogs. Big Girl and Peanut were moved using a climate-controlled trailer to keep them warm, they were provided with ample bedding and food for the trip and the transporter drove straight from Florida to Chattanooga, only stopping occasionally for gas and to check on the animals. They were unloaded after-hours at Chattanooga Zoo to minimize stress for the animals and avoid disrupting guests.
After allowing some time for Peanut and Big Girl to adjust to their new environment, animal care staff started the process of introducing them to Everett. Before allowing them to meet face to face, the animals were periodically rotated through the same enclosure spaces, allowing them to acclimate to each other’s scents. After that, Everett and the two females were allowed visual contact with each other through mesh in a process called “howdying.” Finally, all doors within the exhibit were opened, creating a large circle with no dead ends and allowing for direct contact.
The initial meeting was highly supervised by Zoo staff and lasted over three hours. The introduction went well with all animals participating in positive and natural interactions. Warthog introductions can appear a bit startling — with headbutting, chasing and squealing — but these behaviors are all a normal part of the process for the species.
“During their face-to-face meeting, Everett was very interested in the females, but they were a little unsure of him at first,” said Lacey Hickle, general curator at Chattanooga Zoo. “We are very happy with how initial introductions have gone, and I think they will be able to share the entire space full-time soon.”
Although Everett, Peanut and Big Girl will all live together, the females will remain on birth control to prevent reproduction. Chattanooga Zoo is accredited by the AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) and participates in 46 SSPs (Species Survival Plans) through the organization. SSPs oversee breeding within zoos to ensure the overall population of a given species is genetically diverse, healthy and sustainable. As of now, Chattanooga Zoo’s warthogs are not recommended for breeding and, instead, the Zoo is contributing to the SSP as a “holding facility” for the individuals.
In the wild, female warthogs and their young live together in groups called sounders, while males are generally solitary and only interact with females during the spring for breeding. Male warthogs are substantially larger than females, they have larger tusks and they have two pairs of “warts” on their face as opposed to one pair on females. The “warts” are actually thick, fatty pads used to protect their eyes and face in the wild.
At Chattanooga Zoo, Everett, Peanut and Big Girl can be seen in the Cape of Africa section at the very front of the Zoo. If they are not occupying their outdoor yard, they can often be seen through windows into their building next to Mimi’s Pavilion.
For more information about Chattanooga Zoo including animal exhibits, general admission, memberships and more, visit chattzoo.org