I assume these are 'rehabs'. I wouldn't say they're worth the trip as they are asleep most of the day… I assume it would be quite possible for European/American zoos to acquire those either via the Entebbe zoo or a 'broker' anywhere in Africa… Do you know why they are not common in western zoo's?
I would have thought the problems would come with bringing in pigs from Africa - I'm sure the quarantine requirements would be extraordinary, but I don't know the details - whether it would be impossible, or just very difficult.
I believe nothing in "zoo-world-terms" is impossible… This may simply be extremely difficult… As far as quarantine requirements go, you may be right. Pigs are difficult animals to import due to the 'agricultural danger' they may pose.
I've been researching the subject of keeping Giant Forest Hogs in captivity. I found records from o.a. the Bronx Zoo and several European zoo's (also a detailed account from Artis in Amsterdam). Apparently these pigs don't last long in captivity (the longest record is about 2 years), and as there's not much known about their lives in the wild, it made me wonder whether it has to do with their diet (perhaps these pigs take a larger portion of proteins e.g. meat, or maybe even something like lichens or moss…) or natural ability to withstand cold (considering the fact they all died in northern zoos, but apparently are doing just fine in the Entebbe zoo). In any case, considering the fact our knowledge and abilities are much further today than back 'in the old days' I think it's definitely worth to give it another try! After all, these are very interesting animals that could give a good exhibit!
Considering the very low conservation value of these pigs, i'd rather see Zoo's build a decent population of some of the critically endangered suids, as they are doing now with the Visayan warty pigs...
Didn't San Diego have one of these several years ago? I know I saw some kind of giant forest hog and they said it was the only one in the United States?
I would have thought the problems would come with bringing in pigs from Africa - I'm sure the quarantine requirements would be extraordinary, but I don't know the details - whether it would be impossible, or just very difficult.
Didn't Rotterdam, Arnhem and Antwerp encounter the same situation when they imported warthog from west Africa 10 years ago.
Look at the European population now.
Didn't San Diego have one of these several years ago? I know I saw some kind of giant forest hog and they said it was the only one in the United States?
I am not a suidae expert, but would not bush pig be equally exciting? (Assuming, as I do, that it was still the only one in the United States).
Also, I just finished reading Jeremy Mallison's autobiography about his career at Jersey Zoo and he mentions helping to start a breeding center in India for some highly endangered Indian forest hogs. (Not sure exactly what they were called, but I still found it interesing. The book itself, however, is a bit dry - Mallison should have hired a ghost writer).
