Wildlife Wednesdays: Real-Life Pumbaas (Baby Warthogs) Born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
posted on March 21st, 2012 by Matt Hohne, Animal Operations Director, Disney’s Animal Programs
Last month, we welcomed five baby warthogs, three males and two females, to the Disney’s Animal Kingdomfamily. A few days ago, Gene Duncan stopped by to take some photos and we couldn’t resist sharing this photo of one piglets with a Pumbaa plush. Toys are among the items provided to the animals for enrichment as part of our commitment to excellence in animal care.
The piglets, which are still backstage, weighed 1 ½ to just over 2 pounds at birth. Adult females weigh 110-165 pounds and adult males are larger, ranging from 130-330 pounds. We expect the piglets to be out on theKilimanjaro Safaris savanna with their mom by late April.
With the new additions, we now have four male and three female warthogs at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. In the wild, warthogs are designated as vulnerable due to habitat destruction and being hunted for meat.
Warthog Fun Facts:
- Although the upper tusks are more impressive, it is the sharper lower tusks that are the warthog’s principal weapons.
- Warts, which are prominent only on males, are skin growths and have no bony support. The warts are located on the side of the head and in front of the eyes. They serve to cushion blows sustained during battles over females.
- Warthogs usually take over the abandoned burrows of other animals instead of making their own dens.
- In the wild, warthogs’ habitat is widespread—they live in all African countries south of the Sahara Desert.
For more on the wildlife at Walt Disney World Resort, take a look at the posts below:
- Wildlife Wednesdays: Okapi Calf Ventures Out on Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Savanna
- Wildlife Wednesdays: How Do You Get a Giraffe Into the Veterinary Hospital at Disney’s Animal Kingdom?
- Wildlife Wednesdays: Leap to Help Frogs on Leap Day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
