Queens Zoo welcomed three rare domestic pigs, mulefoot hogs, to its grounds in May.
The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Queens Zoo, located in Flushing, is now home to a trio of mulefoot hogs (Sus scrofa domesticus), a breed of domestic pig that is classified as critically rare by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.
The mulefoot hogs are different from other pig breeds because of their single non-cloven hooves that resemble those of a mule, as the name implies. These hogs are categorized as rare because they are no longer commonly bred by farmers.
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Julie Larsen Maher |
The three mulefoot hogs at the Queens Zoo are all females and have course black coats, typical of the breed and can be seen on the zoo’s farm.
The Wildlife Conservation Society saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, global conservation, education, and the management of the world’s largest system of urban wildlife parks, led by the flagship Bronx Zoo. Together these activities change attitudes towards nature and help people imagine wildlife and humans living in harmony. WCS is committed to this mission because it is essential to the integrity of life on Earth.
