Comments on: One Pig, Happy Family

By: nancy from michigan

nancy from michigan — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 16:35:51 +0000

glad to hear jabari is doing well! at what age are they considered full grown? you stated his daddy weighs a whopping 120lbs! I love the name tarzan! cute!!…….he was probably very happy to get in the same area that mom and dad were in. thank goodness they accepted him finally! animals are sometimes so funny and unpredictable. at least this outcome was a happy one!! thanks for the update!

By: Nate

Nate — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 11:21:52 +0000

Quick update: Jabari, now nearly 3 months old and about 30 lbs., has been successfully reintroduced to unrelated female C.T. Now all 4 pigs are living harmoniously together. Jabari is down to one milk feeding a day and will be considered fully weaned next month.

By: Melissa

Melissa — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:23:24 +0000

What a cute piglet! It is always interesting to learn the social and family dynamics of different species. Hopefully Asali will continue to progress when it comes to caring for her young. These three make a cute family.

By: makaria

makaria — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:36:39 +0000

he/she is really cute!!!!!!!!

By: Nate

Nate — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:41:21 +0000

Shirley: There IS a red river hog in the old guanaco exhibit, but Jabari and family are down the hill from the pandas.

I don’t have an answer to why Asali is not a good mother. I don’t think there is a medical issue. Animals that have multiple litters throughout their lifetime sometimes work with a learning curve. The first birth shocks them, and they’ll sometimes hurt or kill the young. And then each successive time gets a little better. And, as Nancy said, some animals are just better at it than others. Luckily, in a zoo environment, we can intercede and help the youngster to reach adulthood.

By: Margaret

Margaret — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:53:42 +0000

Congratulations to the nursery staff on a job well done. Hopefully some day Asali will allow her piglets to nurse. Any idea if there is a medical issue preventing this, or she just doesn’t like the sensation (as happens with some humans too).

I am sure the research into why mothers reject their young in all species is fascinating, albeit sometimes sad.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:45:57 +0000

Nate is it possible that nursing is painful and there is a possible infection like what happened with Lun Lun and Xi Lan at ZA?

By: nancy from michigan

nancy from michigan — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 16:20:35 +0000

thanks for the interesting post Nate! jabari is a cute little piglet. very pretty markings!! I wonder why mom wouldn’t nurse him. I see he goes to a holding area for his bottles of milk just as they did with baby frank ( the gorilla ) this system seems to work for more than one animal specie doesn’t it? I think jabari’s mom really isn’t interested in being a mom at all!! I say this because you said she wasn’t a reliable mother.
no real bond? there are human beings that are not interested in being parents! AND, some parents who should have never been parents as they are not reliable either!!! I probably should not compare the two should I? lol!!! baby jabari has keepers to go to for his nourishment and any health problems! lucky little guy I say!

By: Joy in Kansas

Joy in Kansas — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:32:17 +0000

A sentence I never envisioned typing, but true all the same: Awwwww what a cute little swine!

By: Shirley Sykes

Shirley Sykes — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:20:09 +0000

Once again, our wonderful nursery staff has come through with flying colors! Are Jabari and his parents in the area next to the camels where the guanacos used to be before moving to the Elephand Odyssey? I’ve checked in there a couple of times, but have yet to see a hog, parental or baby. But I’ll keep looking, and I hope, Nate, that you’ll keep the blogs coming. Thank you!