Utah’s Hogle Zoo welcomes young warthog

Hakuna matata.

Utah's Hogle Zoo announced Thursday it is welcoming a new female warthog.

Tikiti the warthog is only a year old and comes from the Dallas Zoo as part of a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' species survival plan with resident male warthog Swifty, the zoo said in a statement.

Tikiti will be living in the African Savanna section of the zoo, where guests can see her settling in. Her name means "watermelon" in Swahili.

Since arriving, she has been meeting her new care team, participating in trainings sessions and slowly getting acquainted with Swifty, who is 6 years old. The zoo said the introduction process for the warthogs includes being in the same area but separated by barriers to familiarize themselves with each other's scents.

Tikiti is learning how to live in a mixed-species habitat, as prior to her arrival she has only been in a habitat with other warthogs. The Dallas Zoo animal care team prepared Tikiti for her move by having her spend time in a bigger space, and now in Utah, she is meeting other animals such as the giraffes and zebras and even an ostrich.