SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, July 18, 2026 (Gephardt Daily) — After weeks in seclusion and nursing, Hogle Zoo has debuted its baby warthogs.
“Tiny tusks. Big milestone,” the zoo said Friday in introducing the boys online. “Meet Chad and Wharton, the first warthogs ever born at Utah’s Hogle Zoo!”
First-time mom Tikiti welcomed the healthy brothers on June 14 and has been doing an incredible job caring for them behind the scenes, according to the announcement. “Her care team says it’s been a joy to watch her settle into motherhood as an attentive, loving mom.”
The piglets both are now a little over 11 pounds, sporting tiny tusks. The burrowing cousins of the domestic pig will grow a second pair.
As is often the practice at Hogle, zoo donors were giving naming honors.
Their arrival is a milestone not only for Hogle Zoo, officials said, but also for the warthog population as a whole. As part of The Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan, Chad and Wharton’s births help support a healthy, genetically diverse population under human care. Tikiti, now 3, arrived from the Dallas Zoo as part of an SSP breeding pair recommendation with eight-year-old warthog Swifty.
“On your next visit, you may spot Tikiti and her piglets in the African Savanna habitat near the base of Twiga Terrace. Like all new mothers, she needs time to rest and care for her young, so the family has access to a private den and may spend part of the day indoors.
Read more from Tikiti’s care team: hoglezoo.org/warthog-piglet-births
“Welcome to the savanna, Chad and Wharton!”
