ATLANTA — Welcome to Atlanta, Hamlet! The 19-month old male warthog is a new addition to Zoo Atlanta’s African Savanna.
A rep tells 11Alive that Hamlet comes to Atlanta by way of the Houston Zoo in Texas, and he’s already began exploring his new habitat earlier this week.
“Hamlet has arrived as a companion for Eleanor, the 6-year-old female warthog at Zoo Atlanta. As he is gradually acclimating to his new environment, there is not yet a guarantee of seeing him,” Zoo Atlanta wrote in a statement.
“We’re excited to introduce Hamlet to the African Savanna. Warthogs are animals that many people consider iconic to a legendary part of Africa,” Jennifer Mickelberg, PhD, Vice President of Collections and Conservation said in a statement. “The animals that are part of this environment are all emblematic of the connectedness of this ecosystem – and of the connections between us here in Atlanta and the future of Africa’s wild savannas.”
Zoo Atlanta reports wild warthog populations are currently widespread but are in decline as a result of drought, desertification, and human-caused habitat loss and habitat fragmentation.
Warthogs are highly resilient animals and are more adaptable to human activities than most of the other mammals that share their grasslands ecosystem.
With Hamlet as the newest addition to the African Savanna. He’s also joining Mumbles, a 9-year old southern white rhinoceros – the first of his species to call Zoo Atlanta home.
The African Savanna wildlife community features new and expanded habitats for elephants, giraffes, zebras, ostriches, and meerkats.