Visayan Warty Pig

Habitat

Patches of remaining rainforest in the Philippines.

Wild Diet

Plants, fruits, roots and tubers, but they have developed a taste for cereal crops and cultivated vegetables.

Behaviour

The warty pig gets its name from warts on the boar’s face that help protect him from war-wounds during the mating season. The boar also has a tall, stiff, spiky hair-do that grows only during the mating season to impress the females

Breeding

Baby warty piglets are born with soft, stripey fur, but as they reach maturity they will lose this and grow their darker, tougher adult coat. The babies small striped bodies are nicely camouflaged allowing them to follow their mother around the forest or stay safely hidden away whilst she forages for food.

Threats

Habitat destruction, over hunting for sport, reprisals for raids on crops and inadequate protection have resulted in the dramatic decline and likely extinction of the warty pig. There are now as few as 200 left in the wild.

Conservation

The Visayan Warty Pig Conservation Programme was established in 1991 with the aim of re-introducing the species on the islands in the Philippines where it has been lost. Captive breeding and rescue centres have been established on Negros, with zoos worldwide, including Newquay Zoo, contributing to the captive population.