African brush piglet piglets stand out with their stripes, as is the case with other pig species. Photo Miroslav Bobek, Prague Zoo
For the first time in the history of Prague Zoo, African bushpigs were born here. A total of three piglets of these Central African forest pigs can be seen in the Dja Reservation pavilion. Eight-year-old female Jasna is taking exemplary care of her young ones born yesterday and regularly breastfeeds them. However, it should be remembered that the piglets have not yet overcome the critical period.
“We promoted African bushpigs as ‘golden piglets’ at Christmas, and now we have their young; for the first time ever at our zoo,” says Prague Zoo Director Miroslav Bobek. “The three ‘golden piglets’ are very active, even digging in the substrate, and arouse extraordinary interest among visitors, which even turns into enthusiasm.”
African bush pigs were bred at Prague Zoo from 2001 to 2016 in the African House, but they were always only males. Breeding was resumed in the Dja Reservation pavilion at the end of 2022, while the Prague Zoo only acquired the female last summer.
Brush piglet piglets often stay close to the exhibition glass, so they can be observed in the Dja Reservation pavilion from a distance of just a few centimeters. Photo Miroslav Bobek, Prague Zoo
“The male Štěpán and the female Jasna did not hesitate and during their first day together last September, we observed their mating. Thanks to regular weighing, we then discovered that Jasna was continuously gaining weight,” says curator Jan Mengr, adding that the piglets were born directly in the exhibition yesterday shortly after midnight. “The birth went smoothly and we saw them sucking their mother’s milk on the night-time camera footage,” he adds.
Although it is natural for female bush pigs to chase away males before giving birth and to be aggressive towards them, this situation did not occur here. Jasna, on the other hand, tolerates three-year-old Štěpán for now and remains calm even in his presence. Visitors will therefore see the entire family of baboons in the exhibit. The sex of the three cubs is not yet known.
The only change compared to the usual regime is the separation of the troop of Brazza’s monkeys, who normally share the exhibit with the baboons. The monkeys will temporarily use only the outdoor enclosure.
The little “golden piglets” were born at Prague Zoo for the first time. The female gave birth directly in the exhibition and, due to her calm nature, the breeders do not disturb her at all and let the breeding process proceed as naturally as possible. Photo Monika Dolejšová, Prague Zoo
African baboons can be found in the wild in West and Central Africa from Senegal to Uganda in the east and Angola in the south. These brightly colored even-toed ungulates mainly inhabit deciduous and mixed forests up to an altitude of 4,000 m above sea level. They got their name from their elongated earlobes topped with a brush of longer hairs. Although this species is considered relatively abundant, it is also a favorite target of bushmeat hunters. In some countries, it is also persecuted by farmers because it damages their crops. Among other things, the brush pig is also threatened by the loss of natural habitat due to logging and the expansion of human settlement.