Red river hog

Scientific Name: Potamochoerus porcus pictus Animal Type: Mammal Location: West and Central Africa (Benin; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Congo; DR Congo; Côte d'Ivoire; Equatorial Guinea; Gabon; Ghana; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Liberia; Mali; Nigeria; Senegal; Togo; Uganda) Conservation Status: Least Concern

Profile

 

A new species for Durrell in 2009, the red river hog is a stunning member of the pig family from West and Central Africa. Although overall it is relatively common and widespread, hunting affects the species in some areas and numbers are declining ¬– they are one of the species most heavily targeted for bushmeat.

The arrival of red river hogs at Durrell helps us to highlight the problems caused by the bushmeat trade, which also affects more threatened species such as gorillas.

Red river hogs usually live in and around forests, eating grass, berries, roots and small animals. They are largely nocturnal, hiding by day in dense bushes. They live in groups of up to twenty individuals, although if trees are in fruit they may gather in larger numbers to take advantage of the feast.

To find roots to eat, they use their muzzles to dig and so can sometimes damage crops and plantations. The damage they do to agricultural areas can aggravate their relationships with local people and they may be hunted as pests, or because they can transmit disease to livestock.

On the other hand, red river hogs are very adaptable and may even benefit from the opening up of formerly forested areas by the creation of secondary habitats, the availability of cultivated foods, and reductions in their natural predators such as leopards.

Red river hogs are 1-1.5 metres long and weigh up to 200 lb. Boars are larger than sows, and groups are led by a dominant male. Their most striking feature is their colouring, their reddish-brown fur contrasting with black legs and black and white snout. Typically, 3-6 piglets are born at a time.
 

Other Least Concern Animals African crested porcupine Agile frog Black and gold howler monkey Cambodia bony-headed toad Common toad/Jersey crapaud European Adder Greater flamingo Green lizard Grey crowned crane Hamerkop Mission golden-eyed tree frog Red-billed Chough Ring-tailed coati Rio Cauca caecilian (Rubber eel) Silvery marmoset Slender-tailed meerkat White-backed duck White-faced whistling duck Yellow mongoose