ASHEBORO N.C. (ACME NEWS)—The North Carolina Zoo has welcomed six Visayan warty piglets, including the largest litter on record for the critically endangered species, a rare boost for a population numbering only around 30 in U.S. zoos.
The piglets were born in two litters at the North Carolina Zoo. Buddy, 8, and Makaio, 7, produced four piglets, the largest litter on record and the first Visayan warty pig litter born in the United States since 2022, according to a news release from the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) which oversees the NC Zoo.
Makaio also fathered two piglets with Shy, a second-time mother. That litter was born two weeks after the first, bringing the zoo’s total number of Visayan warty pigs to nine.
Zoo officials said the births are especially valuable because Makaio’s genes are new to the U.S. zoo population, which has only about 30 of the animals. Adding fresh genes helps keep the animals healthier and less closely related.
“This is a wonderful development considering the species is critically endangered and in rapid population decline due to habitat loss and hunting,” said Jenn Ireland, the zoo’s curator.
The pigs are native to six islands in the central Philippines (Cebu, Negros, Panay, Masbate, Guimaras and Siquijor) but have disappeared from 98% of that range. Outside of human care, they are currently only found on only two small islands, with only about 200 remaining in the wild, according to the zoo.
The biggest threat is habitat loss from commercial logging and slash-and-burn farming. The pigs are also hunted for food and by farmers who see them as crop pests because they can damage fields while foraging.
The species gets its name from the three pairs of fleshy “warts” on a boar’s face. Visayan warty pigs were the first pig species recorded using tools, digging with them at a zoo in France.
“They’re not a species you can see just anywhere, which makes having them here even more meaningful. Every piglet is an important addition to the population and a reminder of why protecting this critically endangered species matters so much,” said the zoo on social media.
The births come as the zoo prepares to open its Asia expansion to the public. The Asia region, including the Visayan warty pig sounder, as a herd is called, will open to guests on March 1, 2027.
“This is a remarkable example of the little miracles happening every day across our zoo,” said Mark Penning, the zoo’s director and CEO. “We are committed to working together with other accredited zoos and aquariums around the world to protect wildlife and wild places for generations to come. Every visit to our zoo helps support that mission.”
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