Visayan warty pig
Sus cebifrons
Visayan warty pigs are one of the most critically endangered species of pig in the world. This pig has become extinct on four of the six Philippine islands that it was once native to.
These pigs stay in small groups, but often the male will be alone. The male Visayan warty pig has tough spikey hair, with an unusual looking mane and crest. Little is known about these pigs in the wild as numbers are limited. Captive breeding programmes have been set up in the hope to save the species from extinction and hopefully one day in the future, when the pressures they currently face in the wild have been alleviated, captive born warty pigs can be reintroduced to their native home.
Belfast Zoo’s breeding pair of Visayan warty pigs are called ‘Malcolm’ and ‘Mabel’ and they share their home with several successful litters of their young. You can find them in an enclosure opposite the Asian elephants paddock.
The average Visayan warty pig can be up to 125 centimetres long and it can weigh up to 30 kilograms.
IUCN red list status
The IUCN status of the visayan warty pig is critically endangered.
For more information on classifications visit www.iucnredlist.org.
Animal class
Mammal
Conservation status
The IUCN fear that the Visayan warty pig is facing extinction in the immediate future.
Habitat
Rainforest
Population
It is unknown how many Visayan warty pigs are in the wild.
Diet
Herbivore. The Visayan warty pig eats roots, forest fruits, tubers, cereal and vegetable crops.