The Little Farm at Tilden Park welcomed a dozen new residents on Thursday when mama sow Contessa gave birth to a litter of piglets.
The babies will stay with their mom for the next six weeks, fattening up before they go to live at a permanent home at a pig farm. Two runts of the litter will go on to live in animal sanctuaries.
The staff at East Bay Regional Park has invited everyone to come and see the new litter. The farm is open 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Sunday; there is no charge for admission.
The site's farmer, Stanley Ward, said he tries not to get too attached to the animals who come and stay. Though adorable and tiny now, the mixed-breed piglets will grow to be at least a couple hundred pounds.
"They're not pets," Ward said. "But we treat all our animals with dignity and respect and we feed them well. They live lovely lives while they're here."
Unlike the pigs, most of the sheep and breeding cows live on the farm for the duration of their lives. Find out more about the Little Farm by visiting the website.
