- June 12, 2025
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If you’ve never met a warthog in person, consider taking a drive to Myakka City on June 7.
While the event is a fundraiser for the Sarasota Parrot Conservatory, Willow and Winnie will likely be the stars of the day.
The warthog sisters are just 7 weeks old. They moved into the conservatory April 17 and are fitting in well with the parrots, dogs, donkeys, pig, tortoise and cat.
“It’s a Disney movie every day,” founder and operator Greg Para said.
Para became a TikTok sensation alongside his last warthog Wallace, who died Sept. 13. Para was out of town when Wallace busted through a door in the house and cut his side on a large splinter.
The surgery went well, but Wallace had a heart attack after waking up from the anesthesia.
Para was crushed. He was going to deactivate his TikTok account, but then thousands of messages poured into Para’s inbox offering him condolences.
Some of the messages asked Para to keep his account active, so he did. Then, one of his Canadian followers messaged him about a guy in Blanco, Texas named Reed Gardner.
Gardner runs a facility for gibbons, which are small apes. However, he also has two warthogs living at the facility, and the female was pregnant.
Para picked up the piglets at 3 weeks old, so they would imprint on him.
“They believe I’m their mother,” Para said. “It’s important so that when they get big, they’ll behave.”
Right now, the piglets are about the same size as Para’s Jack Russell terriers, but they’ll gain about 10 pounds a month over the next two years. Wallace weighed 300 pounds. Para expects Willow and Winnie will weigh between 200 and 250 pounds.
The pair are the same size and color, but it’s easy to see which one is which. Willow has a puffier mane, but both have tiny tusks starting to peek out from their lips.
Para said the sisters are inseparable. While a male warthog can live happily on its own, females prefer to live among a sounder. This sounder just happens to be made up of a menagerie.
Costa, a Catahoula leopard dog mix, has taken over the role of protector. He keeps a close eye on the piglets. Wherever they go, he’s not far behind.
The piglets act just like puppies, too. One of their favorite activities is nipping on shoelaces until they’re untied.
While Willow and Winnie will be one of the main attractions, the Summer Fling Fundraiser is raising money for birds, not warthogs.
Since last year’s hurricane season, The Sarasota Parrot Conservatory has maxed out in terms of room for more birds. Currently, 18 birds are living in temporary cages, and Para is not accepting any new rescues.
It costs about $65,000 a year to maintain the conservatory and keep the animals fed, but the money raised at the Summer Fling will go straight toward new aviaries on the property.
An aviary that holds two birds costs $1,400, which includes a fan, heater and enrichment toys. Para builds them himself using pressure treated wood and 12 gauge wire mesh that prevents predators from breaking in.
The aviaries are also built with tear-away roofs, so the structures don’t blow apart during hurricanes. The birds are brought inside before any major storm, but that one provision makes the recovery process quicker and less expensive.
Guests are welcome to roam the property and interact with the animals during the event. There will also be music, games and a hotdog stand.
The Sarasota Parrot Conservatory offers lifetime care to relinquished parrots and avian assisted therapy to individuals healing from trauma.
The sessions are free of charge, and it’s a gradual process to get both the human and the bird to feel comfortable with each other.
The first session is just a visit to the conservatory to see which parrot will make the best pairing. The initial introductions are from outside the bird’s aviary until the individual is comfortable enough to step inside.
When ready, the pair can leave the aviary for a more tranquil spot on the grounds.
Para is currently building “the Healing Center.” It’s a 50-foot long greenhouse structure on the far end of the property that will be shaded and filled with songbirds. A waterfall will add some ambient noise to the peaceful setting.
Once open, the therapy sessions will be held in the Healing Center. Para also envisions yoga practitioners renting it out to hold sessions similar to goat yoga, except instead of goats climbing on the yogis, songbirds will be perched on them.
