5 African Red River Hog Piglets Born at Zoo Miami

The piglets were born to mother Penny and father Baloo.

Five African red river hog piglets were born at Zoo Miami last month, the zoo said Tuesday.

Three male and two female piglets were born Friday, Feb. 28th. They are the first of their species to be born at the zoo.

The mother, a three-year-old named Penny, was born at the Oklahoma City Zoo. The father is a two-year-old named "Baloo" who was born at the San Diego Wild Animal Park.

The group of piglets is larger than an average litter which is about 2-4 piglets.

The mother and piglets were separated from the rest of the group and will be off-exhibit until they are more secure with their surroundings.

A statement from the zoo said Penny is an "excellent mother and is very attentive to the piglets."

In the wild, red river hogs are found in the rainforests, wet savannas and waterways of western and central Africa. Their name comes from their coarse red hair and tendency to be found along the water. A group of these wild hogs is called a sounder. They can live more than 20 years in captivity.

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