The warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) is a wild pig of the African savannah and one of the Kruger's most familiar sights, with a bulky body, short legs, a large flat face, curved tusks and a thin tail it holds straight up when it runs. It grazes and roots by day and shelters in burrows at night.
Name
Warthog [Phacochoerus africanus]
Appearance
The Warthog is a rather ugly looking animals but one that is iconic with the Kruger Park and loved world wide. The Warthog has a bulky body with short skinny legs. It has a long face with bony protrusions under its eyes and behind its mouth. They have incisors that grow out and upwards and lower tusks that grow outwards sharply. Their tails are rather unique as they always point upwards.
Diet
Warthogs, like most wild boars , have a diet that consists mainly of eating fruits, roots, shoots and sometimes when things get dire they will consume grass.
Behaviour
Warthogs are day animals that spend most of their day looking for food and are normally seen in family groups. They shelter in burrows during the night, entering tail first. Warthogs have an interesting habit of kneeling on their front knees while feeding and foraging. Boars play no part in rearing the piglets and only interact with sows during mating season. The groups you see travelling around are matriarchal groups that consist of adult sows and their young.
Habitat
Warthogs can tolerate a wide variety of habitats though they seem to prefer woodland savannah areas.
Where can they be found
Warthogs are rather common and widely distributed and not threatened in South Africa. They can occur naturally on farms and are slowly being reintroduced into areas where they were once extinct. They can be found near watering holes and marshy areas of the Kruger National Park.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a warthog eat?
Warthogs feed mainly on fruit, roots, bulbs and shoots, digging with their snout and tusks. They famously kneel on padded front knees to crop short grass close to the ground. In dry, difficult times they fall back on tougher grasses and rhizomes to get by.
Why does a warthog run with its tail up?
A warthog raises its thin tail like a flag when it trots or runs. The exact reason is uncertain, but it is widely thought to help family members and piglets keep visual contact through tall grass, especially when the group is fleeing a predator toward the safety of a burrow.
Where do warthogs live in the Kruger?
Warthogs are common and widely distributed across the Kruger, favouring woodland savannah and open ground near waterholes and marshy areas. They are active by day, so they are easy to spot, and shelter overnight in burrows, often old aardvark holes, which they reverse into tail-first so their tusks face any intruder.
Are warthogs dangerous?
Warthogs are not aggressive toward people and usually flee to a burrow when disturbed. A cornered animal, or a sow defending piglets, can lash out with its sharp lower tusks, so keep your distance. They are prey for the Kruger's big predators, which is why they rarely stray far from an escape burrow.
