Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge has recently welcomed a new resident in the form of a baby Red River Hog.
About the Family
Mom “Daisy” and dad “Cheech” welcomed their baby piglet at the resort in June 2022.
The name of the baby hasn’t been released yet, but they’ll remain backstage bonding with mom and dad for a while longer.
The amazing animal care team is taking great care of mom and the little one until it is ready to meet the guests.
About Red River Hogs
The red river hog, also known as the bushpig, is a wild member of the pig family, with most of its distribution in the Guinean and Congolian forests of West and Central Africa.
Red river hogs are born with striped patterning that helps them blend into the vegetation, which keeps them safe from predators. As they mature, their fur changes to a bright russet color.
To cool off, red river hogs love to settle in for a mud bath. Coating themselves in a layer of mud also protects their skin from the harsh sun and biting flies in the wild.
Mud wallow sites are placed in their exhibits so Guests can get a good view.
Guests can view relatives of these red river hogs inside Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Warthogs (hello Pumba!) can be found at the Kilimanjaro Safaris, Babirusas in the The Oasis Exhibits at the front of the park, and KuneKune pigs at the Affection Section at Rafiki’s Planet Watch.
Animals at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is accredited by the AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums).
The organization ensures that the park continues to meet high standards of animal care and conservation initiatives year after year.
With 10,000 animals living in the park at any given time, Disney’s Animal Kingdom is also part of the AZA’s species survival plan which ensures responsible breeding of animals like the Red River Hog to help populations of endangered species in the wild.
Animals at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge are under the care of the park’s zoological crew.