Wild Pigs

In Uganda, there are three other types of African pigs, or swine, besides the domestic pig that is raised for commercial pork.

1. The wild bushpig (Potamochoerus porcus)
2. The big pig in the forest (Hylochoerus meinertzhageni)
3. This animal is called a warthog (Phacochoerus africanus)

The Bush pig.

They look like pigs, and you can tell by their pointed, tufty ears and face mask.

Bushpigs have different hair and skin colours in different parts of their range. For example, the southern koiropotamus and nyasae are dark reddish, and sometimes almost black. The coat gets darker as it gets older. Their heads have a "face mask" that is a pattern of blackish to dark brown and white to dark grey spots, or sometimes it is all white. Long hairs hang down from the ears in tassels. Their short, sharp tusks don't stand out too much. Bushpigs run with their long, thin tails down, while warthogs run with their tails up.

Most of the time, males are bigger than females. When a man gets old, he gets two warts on his nose. When piglets are born, they have pale yellowish stripes on a dark brown background. These stripes go away quickly, and the piglet's coat changes to a reddish brown colour with a black and white crest on the back. When the animal gets upset, this mane stands up.

Even though bushpigs can be found in all of Uganda's national parks except Rwenzori, they are not often seen because they are mostly active at night and their preferred habitat gives them a lot of cover.

The giant forest hog

On average, the giant forest hog is the biggest species of suid that is still alive. Males tend to be bigger than females.

The giant forest hog has a lot of hair all over its body, but these hairs tend to get thinner as the animal gets older. On the outside, it is mostly black, but the hairs closest to the skin are a deep orange colour. It has big, pointed ears, and its tusks are smaller than those of warthogs but bigger than those of bushpigs.

It is a nocturnal creature that lives deep in the forest. Because of this, it is rarely seen, but it probably lives in all of western Uganda's national parks. It is often seen on an African boat safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park on the Kazinga Channel.

Warthog.

Warthogs belong to the genus Phacochoerus in the family Suidae (pronounced "wart-hog").

Even though their bodies and heads are covered in bristly hair, from far away, only the crest along the back and the tufts on their cheeks and tails make it clear that they have hair. The English name comes from the wattles on their faces, which are most noticeable on males. They also have tusks that stand out. They mostly eat plants, but sometimes they will also eat small animals.

The warthog, which lives in Uganda's savanna national parks, is the most common African pig species that people see.