Mysteriously, Palekana was found inside the gates of Aloha Animal Sanctuary, as a precious and beautiful orphaned baby piglet!   He was first seen by one of our AM Animal Caretaker volunteers, who notified the rest of our volunteer team of a baby piglet sighting!  He was finally spotted again later in the day, when he was being welcomed into her habitat by Eleanor, our eldest mother pig.
We saw them sniffing each other's noses and getting to know each other through an emotional language of squeels and grunts!
Our volunteer team jumped into action to make a new makeshift habitat for (baby piglet) Palekana neighboring our new goat rescues, but separate from other residents for quarantine: our standard protocol.  Volunteers went home and as the sun set over the Ko'olau mountains, baby piglet started crying out for help and attention!  Luckily, we had just started to institute our overnight caretaker volunteer position, and after getting a bath in the sink, baby piggie got to stay his first night inside the house, safe and cozy.

He grew up as a baby in the goat enclosure -- because we were concerned about any danger that he might be accidentally crushed or injured by our 600lb residents!

Palekana was named by one of our wonderful long-time volunteers, who is a student of ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiʻian language).
"The word palekana means to be safe and protected.  Palekana is also used to ward off danger and express the actions of being safe."
(please see this video resource to learn more about the meaning of Palekana)

As he has grown, he has captured all of our hearts and lived a truly amazing life of a piggie: full of diverse and delicious meals, treats, good friends, tons of scratches, massages and healing musical serenades.  He is our sweet boy, and we love him very much!!