MAKE-OVER PIG, WILMA,
PROUDLY PRESENTS
EIGHT PIGLETS TO THE WORLD

Wilma, the pot-bellied pig, has achieved celebrity status since her make-over in May. Twinlake's most famous resident was proving unlucky in love and had been given the cold shoulder by all the boars she met. Staff gave her a make-over and, within days, staff announced that Wilma was expecting.

On September 11th, she became the proud mother of eight piglets - six girls and just one boy in the space of four hours and weighing in at around a pound each. Six of them are pink with black spots whilst two are completely black in colouring.

Number eight can thank park manager, Sandy Gyorvari, that he didn't end up in hog heaven - a recent scan had suggested Wilma was expecting around three piglets. So when the seventh was born, no more were expected and Wilma was left in peace to suckle her babies.

Sandy popped back a little later to see number eight arriving. As the piglet was still inside its birth sack, she radioed for assistance but was told she would have to take immediate action to save the piglet's life. Following instructions, she removed him from the sack and gave him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to start him breathing.

Commenting on the events, Sandy Gyorvari said:

"I've had to do all sorts in this job but I think mouth-to-mouth on a tiny pig has to be the most unusual so far. He is now happily feeding with all his sisters and doing really well. Wilma has become so well known that, as soon as people found out about the birth, we began receiving flowers and cards for her. We're half expecting HELLO magazine to ask for an exclusive photo-shoot of the happy family. It has been a fantastic few days."

Visitors to Twinlakes will be able to see the piglets from this weekend and the park is hoping that, in a few weeks time, children will be able to help to feed them.

Wilma has been the subject of the National Press too, - click the paper to read articles from the
Express and Mirror newspapers !

More news to follow !!!!