Oakland Zoo Welcomes 7 Warthog Piglets

The Oakland Zoo welcomed seven new additions after two warthogs gave birth to two separate litters in May, according to zoo officials. 

Female warthogs Frenchie and Alice were brought to the zoo three years ago in hopes of mating with the zoos male warthog resident, Simon. 

Zoo officials said, the two females gave birth to a total of seven little piglets a week apart, with Frenchie's litter being born on May 6 and Alice's litter of four born on May 13.

"We are thrilled to have two litters of healthy piglets! Both sows "Frenchie" and "Alice" are first-time moms and are doing a wonderful job and being very protective." Senior Zookeeper Lovesong Cahill said in a statement.

Zookeepers prepared for months for the arrival of the piglets, readying the animals' night house dens, modifying denning boxes to receive central heating, piglet-proofing gates and other areas as well as monitoring the sows pregnancies through positive-reinforcement training.

According to zoo officials the training resulted in one of the mothers allowing zookeepers to use ultrasound imaging of the piglets in utero.

--Bay City News; Photos via Oakland Zoo