Edinburgh Zoo: zookeepers celebrate the birth of four adorable 'critically endangered' Visayan warty piglets

Keepers at Edinburgh Zoo are celebrating the birth of four adorable Visayan warty piglets who were born last month with staff delighted to announce the rare pigs are healthy and ‘full of character.’

Zoo keepers at wildlife charity, The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) said the new arrivals were born on June 25 to parents Nikki and Elvis, bringing the number of ‘critically endangered’ pigs at the zoo to ten.

Jonny Appleyard, hoofstock team leader at Edinburgh Zoo said, “We are so excited to welcome Nikki and Elvis’ piglets. Our Visayan warty pigs are full of character, and our four new arrivals are no exception. Once they receive their first health check in the coming weeks we will know if they are boys or girls.”

There are thought to only be 200 Visayan warty pigs in the wild. The four adorable piglets were born on June 25. Picture: RZSS

Visayan warty pigs are listed as critically endangered by the International Union of Conservation for Nature (IUCN) and there is thought to be as a few as 200 of them remaining in the wild. The species is now extinct in 98 per cent of their former range and they are only found on two small islands in the Philippines.

Jonny added: “Agricultural expansion and logging have devastated vast amounts of their habitat and they are also hunted for their meat, making them one of the rarest wild pigs in the world. We are excited to welcome four piglets who will act as incredible ambassadors for their species in the wild, inspiring more people to protect, value and love nature.”

The charity announced the six-week-old piglets will be named soon and lucky visitors will be able to spot Nikki and her piglets exploring their home at Edinburgh Zoo more and more over the next few weeks.