Pigs at a wild animal park in Kent are set to be the first ever to be reintroduced back into the wild.

Plans are under way to send red river hogs from Howletts near Canterbury to Africa.

Damian Apsinall, who is chairman of the foundation which runs the park, posted a video on his Instagram account saying they hope to send the animals to the Congo as soon as lockdown is over.

Red river hogs, or bush pigs as they're also known, are generally found in rainforest regions near rivers or swamps.

In the wild they live in groups of between six and 20 and females generally have litters of up to six hoglets.

It's hoped the reintroduction programme will boost numbers in the Batéké Plateau National Park.

While Howletts and its sister park, Port Lympne near Hythe, remain closed to visitors during the pandemic, more than 1,300 animals continue to be looked after by their keepers.

Last month an urgent appeal was launched to raise the £1.5m needed to cover the food bill.

Vital conservation work led by the Aspinall Foundation is also continuing overseas and at the start of the year we announced the foundation would be KentOnline's charity of the year as they attempt to help save elephants in South Africa.

Read more: All the latest news from Kent