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Warthog and Rothweiler relationship

Animals of all different shapes, sizes and species have struck up friendships - dogs and goats, rats and cats, ostriches and elephants. But have you ever heard of a Rottweiler and warthog becoming besties?

This is exactly what happened at Daktari. Piggy was one of three baby warthogs who arrived at Daktari At DAKTARI, Michele and Ian gave the warthogs the best possible care, but two of the babies died not long after arriving. They didn't expect the remaining warthog to live, based on how weak and listless he was. But with regular bottle feeds and lots of love, the last warthog - a male named Piggy - surprised everyone by surviving. Michele and Ian weren't the only ones to give Piggy love and attention. A Rottweiler puppy named Nikita took an immediate liking to him. "Their bond grew and eventually they were inseparable," Ian tells. "They started sharing the same bed and same food." As Nikita and Piggy grew up together, they loved getting into as much trouble as possible. "They loved rolling in poo," says Ian, "and running around the camp, or chasing each other around the patio furniture. They also loved cuddling on the couch and protecting their couch territory. Piggy was very territorial over his spot on the couch." Nikita's friendship helped Piggy grow up strong - so strong he was able to be released in a local game reserve in 2015, and live the life of a wild warthog. "Piggy adapted well to his new home," says Ian. "Last we heard, he's doing great. The owner of the reserve will put kitchen scraps outside the fence and Piggy comes to gorge himself."

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