African Warthog

The Warthog is a wild member of the pig family found in grassland, savanna, and woodlands in sub-Saharan Africa. Their name comes from the four large, wart-like protrusions found on the head of the warthog, which serve as a fat reserve and are used for defense when the males fight. They have sparse bristle like hair covering their body and longer bristles that are in a mane that goes from the head down the spine.

Warthogs are phenominal at adapting and surviving. They will even switch to foraging at night if they live where humans hunt them.When startled or threatened, Warthogs can be surprisingly fast, running up to 34 miles per hour. If need be they can even use their tusk like canine teeth to defend themselves. When leaving their burrows, they run out quickly just in case there are predators waiting for them.

In the wild, you can find Warthog sleeping and resting in holes dug by aardvarks.

Warthogs live in groups with females and their young. Males generally join only for mating. Once it is time to give birth, the female chases away her previous litter. In the dry season, they use their snouts and tusks to dig up roots and tubers. In the wet season, they enjoy eating bugs and other small invertebrates.  Like domestic pigs, females are called sows, males are called boars and babies are called piglets.

Warthogs help other animals by allowing birds to eat parasites off of their bodies.

Warthogs are sometimes killed for invading agricultural areas. To protect this species it is important for local communities and farmers to find ways to coexist with them. Also, more wild spaces for warthogs with corridors to provide safe passage, should be implemented to allow these species to thrive without interfering with human populations and vice versa.

The Warthog of African Safari Wildlife Park

Mud, glorious mud, why does it look like such a mud bath in here? Because Warthogs love to root up the ground and wallow in the mud! These are natural behaviors that tell us Lil Miss is happy and healthy. Warthogs wallow in the mud to cool off and fend off flies, where digging up the ground is to look for roots, grubs, and more!

Our female Warthog is named Lil Miss!

Diet: The Warthog's diet is omnivorous, composed of grasses, roots, berries and other fruits, bark, fungi, insects, eggs and carrion