Bushpig
Species Data
Class: Mammalia
Order: Cetartiodactyla
Family: Suidae
Scientific Name: Potamochoerus Iarvatas
IUCN Red List status: Least Concern
IUCN Species Distribution Map
Description
The Bushpig is an African member of the pig family, with coarse fur that varies from red-brown to dark brown and darkens with age. They have blunt, muscular snouts, pointed tufted ears, buckled toes and short, sharp tusks. They are omnivores, as, while their diet is predominantly plant-based, they will eat carrion.
Behaviour
Mostly nocturnal, Bushpigs are social animals, living in groups of up to 12 called sounders, which usually consist of a dominant breeding pair, along with other females and juveniles.
Image: Bushpig ‘Potamochoerus larvatus‘. Credit: Nik Borrow, license CC BY-NC 2.0
Habitat
Bushpigs live in a variety of habitats, but prefer forests and dense shrub land, with access to plentiful food and water.
Threats and Conservation
Current threats include hunting, particularly when they live in agricultural areas, and deforestation due to logging. Bushpigs thrive in well-managed, protected areas like the Dakatcha Woodland that World Land Trust (WLT) are supporting Nature Kenya to protect.
