Kudu Ridge is located close to the main gate of the Addo Elephant National Park, the third largest national park in South Africa. Our lodge guests are always delighted by encounters with the Big 5 and other wildlife but we regularly hear guests comment about the small, rather ugly, pig-like animal known as the warthog.
Read our fascinating Addo animal facts about the warthog in preparation for your visit to the Addo Elephant National Park. Enquire about staying at Kudu Ridge Game Lodge.
Addo Warthog Facts
- Warthogs are related to pigs, boars and hogs and are members of the Swine family. They have patches on their faces that look like warts which gives them their name. These ‘warts’ are protrusions that are a combination of bone and cartilage and act as padding for when males fight during mating season.
- Warthogs have large teeth called tusks and large nostrils at the end of their snouts. They are covered with brown hair which often protrudes in tufts.
- Warthogs sleep in dens underground at night. They don’t dig their own dens but will rather ‘steal’ them from other animals such as aardvark. Warthogs are generally passive and will look for dens that have been abandoned rather than fighting another animals to take over their hole.
- Warthogs are herbivores. Their diet includes roots, berries, bark, bulbs, grass and other plants. During times of scarcity warthogs may eat meat but they don’t hunt. They mostly forage at daybreak and during the twilight hours, although they can also forage at night. If the ground is hard, they use their snouts and tusks to dig the soil.
- Female warthogs are called sows They are social animals and live in groups called sounders. Females groom each other and huddle together at night for warmth. Adult males aren’t as social, are often territorial and live alone.
- The gestation period for a warthog is around six months. Warthogs have litters of two to four piglets. The young live with their mother in her sounder. Piglets are weaned at around four months old and become mature at 20 months. Females tend to stay with their mother as adults, while males tend to go off on their own.
- Warthogs live between 12 to 18 years. This is often shorter in the wild as they are a favourite food for lions and other predators.
Addo Animals During Your Stay
Book to stay with us at Kudu Ridge Game Lodge and let us introduce you to warthogs and other amazing animals with our guided Addo safari tours. We make use of our 5 to 7 seater Toyota Fortuner, the perfect comfortable off-road vehicle, with air conditioning to keep you cool.
The cost of a full day guided safari tour into Addo Elephant National park is R1400 per person, including a light picnic lunch in Addo. Let our experienced and knowledgeable safari guide show you warthog in the wild and other Addo animals and birds.
Contact us to enquire and book. Ask about our Addo accommodation special. Join us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to find out more about Addo animals. We look forward to hearing from you!
