Posted January 17, 2020 in New Arrivals
Three little pigs come to Colchester Zoo!
On the 15th January 2020 Colchester Zoo welcomed some new arrivals, 3 Oxford Sandy & Black piglets!
The piglets are now 3 months old and are settling into their new home. This breed is sometimes referred to as the ‘Plum Pudding’ or ‘Oxford Forest Pig’ and is one of the oldest British Pig breeds, having existed for around 200 – 300 years! The Animal Care Team have since named the two females Hetty and Nancy and our male Wilbur!
They like to eat leaves, hay, fruit and vegetables and are good foragers. They are also a hardy pig which makes them particularly well suited to living outside. Their black and sandy colouring creates some attractive markings but also helps to protect them from the sun.
Although this pig is not listed on the IUCN Red List, this breed is classed as ‘At Risk’ in the UK by The Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) with around 300 individuals living in the UK.
On welcoming these arrivals we said farewell to our Kune Kune pig Wellington who has moved to a new home at another collection. The piglets have taken residence within Wellington’s previous home at The Familiar Friends part of the zoo – why not stop by and say hello to the piglets on your next visit!?
