Zoo Atlanta has taken in a second young warthog this year, pairing 13-month-old female Ua with a male who arrived on the African Savanna two months earlier.
Ua, whose name is pronounced Oooh-ah, arrived from the Fresno Chaffee Zoo in California on June 24, 2026. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan recommended the move, which pairs her with Anakin, a nine-month-old male who joined the zoo on April 28.
They have not met yet
Ua will spend about a month in routine quarantine behind the scenes before moving to the warthog area, so the two will not meet for some weeks. Anakin has finished his own quarantine and will explore the African Savanna habitat first.
As with the zoo’s other introductions, the pace is set by the animals. Keepers move gradually and take their cue from how the individuals behave and how comfortable they seem. Eleanor, the older adult female warthog at Zoo Atlanta, will continue to live independently of the two youngsters.
“We look forward to introducing both Ua and Anakin to our Members and guests and are excited for this opportunity for them and for us,” said Gina Ferrie, PhD, Vice President of Collections and Conservation. “These are both young warthogs, so we’re excited to see them get to know one another and represent this iconic species together as they grow.”
The pig that learned to graze
Common warthogs (Phacochoerus africanus) live in savannas, grasslands and woodlands across sub-Saharan Africa. They are not currently threatened, which the zoo attributes largely to how adaptable they are.
They occupy a wide spread of habitat types, and they are the only pig species to have adapted to grazing rather than rooting for food. That single shift is much of what lets them live where other pigs cannot.
The African Savanna at Zoo Atlanta also holds African elephants, giraffes, zebras, ostriches, meerkats, southern white rhinos, African lions, blue cranes and kori bustards.
Zoo Atlanta is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
