Red river hog - the most colourful wild boar in Africa - born at Bioparc Fuengirola

Bioparc Fuengirola celebrates the birth of new life at its zoo and animal conservation park - a red river hog piglet (Potamochoerus porcus pictus) - one of the most unique and colourful species of wild boar in Africa.

A little over a week ago, the park's technical team witnessed the birth inside the enclosure that recreates African rainforests. The event immediately activated a special protocol to ensure the well-being of the mother and her baby.

The birth took place in broad daylight, with the park open to the public, which required the rapid action and coordination of vet teams, keepers and technicians.

During the first hours, which are of vital importance for any newborn, the team kept constant vigilance to ensure the normal recovery of the animals. Two piglets were born, but one did not make it through the first few hours of life. This is something that, although painful, is part of the natural processes in the animal world.

The surviving piglet is healthy, active and increasingly curious. It lives with its parents - a young pair - and another female. It has already established a strong bond with the whole group, keeping safe thanks to the healthy dynamics.

The red river hog lives mainly in the wooded and humid areas of sub-Saharan Africa. It is distinguished by its striking reddish fur, its long dorsal crest and the black mask that adorns its face.

The young, known as 'rayones', have a striped pattern that helps them camouflage themselves in the vegetation during the first weeks of life.

Although not currently endangered, the species is under other threats such as habitat loss, hunting and human pressure on African ecosystems. It is one of the species most persecuted in bushmeat hunting - a practice that is becoming increasingly common due to the increase in human population in the areas where this animal lives. Its conservation depends on knowledge of its biology and behaviour as well as on the protection of the natural environments it occupies.

With this birth, Bioparc Fuengirola reaffirms its commitment to the conservation of biodiversity and the reproduction of endangered or little known exotic species, offering visitors the opportunity to discover the value of each life in the ecosystem up-close.