I read in another thread that this species which is an increasingly common sight in zoos was only recently brought into Western collections. Does anyone know more about this? Thanks.
Well I know Belfast has recently gotton a (hopefully once they reach the right age) breeding pair, Malcolm and Mabel. Only 4 other UK zoos have this species to my understanding, not sure what the other 3 are sorry.
Off the top of my head they are Cotswold Wildlife Park, Chester and ( if I remember correctly) Edinburgh.
And Newquay as well. Blackbrook will also have them very soon. EDIT: Just to clarify, warty pigs can currently be seen at FIVE UK zoos - Chester, Edinburgh, Cotswold, Newquay and Belfast. Blackbrook will join the list very soon.
In 1999 Blijdorp (Rotterdam) signed an agreement with the Philippine government to start an European breeding program for the pigs. This led that in 2004 that 8 of them were send to Europe. For this Poznan was used as a quarantine facility and later 6 of them were send to Rotterdam and one pair stayed in Poznan as the female was pregnant. Also in Rotterdam there were breeding results quite fast. The current animals all stay property of the Philippine government but for now it seems the program is kicking off extremely well.
A related question. Anyone know about the race in USA? In Europe all are 'Sus cebifrons negrinus' from Negros Island. By isis the Visayan warty pigs in USA are either 'Sus cebifrons cebifrons' or just 'Sus cebifrons' (no race) but I think I heard all in USA are from Panay Island. This population possibly is an underscribed race (http://www.ultimateungulate.com/Artiodactyla/Sus_cebifronsFull.html). Anyone know for sure what population the Visayan warty pigs in USA belong to? I think real 'Sus cebifrons cebifrons' from Cebu Island are totally extinct.
All I know is that San Diego was the first to bring them in from the Phillippines, then started breeding them. Once the numbers built up, they started shipping them to other U.S. zoos, including mine (Reid Park Zoo). Whatever San Diego has theirs listed in ISIS is probably true for entire U.S.
The US population does indeed originate from Panay. I'm not sure why San Diego chose to list these animals as Sus cebifrons cebifrons. I also am not sure of the current accurate taxonomic status of the Panay Island animals. Perhaps San Diego figured them to be the same as those once found on Cebu? Which looking at a map of the Philippines, doesn't seem to make much sense, as Negros is between Panay and Cebu. I would be interested to know more if anyone has answers to these questions.
Thanks for confirming the Panay Island origin of the USA animals. On isis strangely San Diego have some as 'Sus cebifrons cebifrons' and some as 'Sus cebifrons' (no race). Suggesting they have two different populations? Los Angeles Zoo and Oregon Zoo also have specimens on both lists http://app.isis.org/abstracts/Abs76949.asp#7.0
Like in the case of the Visayan Spotted Deer, the ex-situ breeding is a result of a cooperation between Rotterdam, San Diego and Poznan Zoo as well as local Philippine authorities and the ZGAP. ZGAP - Zoological Society for the Conservation of Species and Populations
Besançon (France) will also have visayan warty pigs in 2010, and ... spotted deers ! An interessant "Philippine year" !
