Giant forest hog
(Hylochoerus meinertzhageni)
Facts
h(252)c(1)q(90)/185a0887719e823669d01e8dfaec478e.JPG)
IUCN LEAST CONCERN (LC)
Facts about this animal
The Giant forest hog reaches a head-body lenght of 1.3 to 2.1 m and a weight of 130 to 275 kg. Males and individuals from Eastern Africa are bigger in size than females or individuals from Western Africa.
They have a long, black fur, but when the animal ages they tend to loose more and more of their fur so they look almost naked. Their tusks which flare out- and upwards can grow to a length of 30 cm.
Did you know?
that the Giant Forest Hog is the largest wild member of the pig family?
| Factsheet | |
|---|---|
| Class | MAMMALIA |
| Order | ARTIODACTYLA |
| Suborder | NONRUMINANTIA |
| Family | SUIDAE |
| Name (Scientific) | Hylochoerus meinertzhageni |
| Name (English) | Giant forest hog |
| Name (French) | Hylochère, sanglier noir |
| Name (German) | Riesenwaldschwein |
| Name (Spanish) | Hilóquero, Cerdo gigante |
| CITES Status | Not listed |
| CMS Status | Not listed |
Photo Copyright by
Greg & Yvonne Dean
Distribution
| Distribution | |
|---|---|
| Range | Western, Central and East Africa: Burundi (?), Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Congo Dem., Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda |
| Habitat | Mainly in humid, forested areas. |
| Wild population | Unknown. Generally common, but threatened in some areas by hunting (Red List IUCN 2011) |
| Zoo population | 1 reported to ISIS (2007) |
In the Zoo
h(252)c(1)/af5723a1ff4347c10c0ea7f764b67137.JPG)
How this animal should be transported
For air transport, Container Note 74 of the IATA Live Animals Regulations, should be followed.
Find this animal on ZooLex
Photo Copyright by
Greg & Yvonne Dean
Why do zoos keep this animal
Keeping giant forest hogs would be of considerable educational value, however, due to veterinary restrictions, no animals of this species are kept outside of the range states.