Every month, visitors to our museum choose the exhibit they liked the most. The one that stood out for the month of September was the African Warthog.

Warthogs may not be known for their beauty, but everyone knows them from the animated film “The Lion King” as Pumba. Phacochoerus is a genus in the family Suidae and includes the species Desert warthog (Phacocheorus aethiopicus) and Common warthog (Phacocheorus africanus). They are found in open areas, such as the savannahs of sub-Saharan Africa, and like to hang out in waterholes. They have dark greyish skin, mostly hairless, with sparse mane on their backs and their skin is sensitive to extreme temperatures so they are usually covered with mud to be protected from the sun. Although they are too fast to avoid their predators, they do not hesitate to 'fight' with their powerful tusks in order to protect their family.

Common warthogs are classified as Least Concern but some major threats for the species are hunting, droughts, and disease.


1/10/2023