(Image: Andrea Mueller/Riverbanks Zoo and Garden)
(Image: Andrea Mueller/Riverbanks Zoo and Garden)
Columbia, SC (WLTX) - The Riverbanks Zoo has a new exotic baby pig that you'll soon be able to see.
Wilma and Bertello, the zoo's babirusas, are now parents of a two-week-old female.
Wilma and Bertello were matched as part of a special survival breeding recommendation. Babirusas, which are from southeast Asia, are considered a vulnerable species due to shrinking habitat and over-hunting.
The new baby isn't available for you to see just yet, but it will be soon.
"Right now, we are still introducing the newborn to its exhibit," said John Davis, curator of mammals at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden. "The process is going very smoothly, and with the weather warming up we hope to have her out on exhibit daily in the coming weeks."
Unlike other pig species, babirusas only have one or two babies at a time. The babies will continue to nurse for up to eight months.
When they're adults, the animals will have longer legs that allow them to run quickly. They're also known for being gifted swimmers.
the zoo's babirusa exhibit is located adjacent to the zoo's African Bird Yard.