A wild boar piglet was adopted by the herd of Watusi Cattle at Safari West in Santa Rosa. The cattle are native to Africa where they are traded as currency, and signify tribal status.(John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Three weeks ago, animal handlers at Safari West discovered an unusual guest had joined their herd of African Watusi cattle: a wild boar piglet that had wandered in from the hills around the African wildlife preserve outside Santa Rosa.
"At first he would only hang out with the all-brown calves that look like a wild pig," said handler Jenny Sloat, who named the porker Chuck. Now, Chuck nurses from the cattle with young calves. At first, he could only feed when the herd would lay down to rest, but Chuck is now tall enough to reach the udders standing under the cows like a calf.
"He gets free milk. It's like a walking buffet," handler Katherine Desmond said.
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