Walter, a 14-month-old warthog that had lived at Utah’s Hogle Zoo since June, has died, the zoo reported Wednesday.
Walter suffered complications from stones in his bladder and urethra, and was euthanized Tuesday.
Zoo officials said in a statement that Walter had not been eating well, and was having difficulty urinating. Veterinarians found Walter had stones in his bladder and his urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body.
Veterinarians operated to remove the bladder stones, but the stone in his urethra could not be removed. They placed a catheter, allowing urine to leave Walter’s distended bladder, and attempted an endoscopy to remove the stone.
For several days, Walter was doing well, eating on his own. On Monday, though, he stopped eating. On Tuesday, veterinarians discovered his abdomen was swelling from urine leaking from the area around the stone. Because of the trauma to the urethra, and the vets’ inability to repair it, Walter was euthanized.
A necropsy (or animal autopsy) found the stone was in an unattainable area. The urinary tract of a warthog — like their genetic relatives, pigs — has an S-shaped curve. Even post-mortem, it took veterinarians more than an hour to find the stone.
The reason Walter developed stones is unclear, said Nancy Carpenter, Hogle’s director of animal health. Urinary stones are often found in pet pigs, and have been reported in Visayan Warty pigs — but not, to date, in warthogs.
“Diet could be a factor,” she said in a release from the zoo. The zoo is adding a pellet, specially designed for urinary health, to the diet of Walter’s brother, Swifty, to prevent a similar problem.
Warthogs typically live 15 years in the wild, and up to 20 years in human care. In the wild, warthogs are threatened by the destruction of their habitat, and are hunted for bushmeat, skins and tusks.
Walter and Swifty arrived at Hogle’s African Savanna in June from the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. The two frequently chased and were chased by the zebras.
Melissa Farr, lead keeper of the African Savanna, said Walter was shy when he arrived, but “we earned his trust and he enjoyed spending time with us. He would come running across the Savanna when we called him.”
Swifty, Farr said, “is getting lots of extra attention from keepers.” The zoo is working to bring in a companion for Swifty, as warthogs in the wild typically form bachelor herds.
