Untitled Document
 What
is the biggest wild pig in the world? That honor belongs to the giant
forest hog, which can grow up to 2 m long and weigh up to 275 kg.
Despite their size, little is known about the giant forest hog. In
fact, the hog was only discovered in 1904 in Africa, making it one
of the last mammals to be identified on the continent.
Scientists do know that the giant forest hog has black fur, bulging
cheeks, and a sharp tusk. They live across central Africa and vary
in size. For example, the western population is smaller from the eastern
hogs. The home range of the hogs average about 10 sq.km, and they
like to live in both areas with dense thickets and open areas with
little trees.
The giant forest hogs eat grass and like to sleep on the bare ground.
Scientists have also discovered that groups consist of eight to 12
animals, including a dominant male and a female with piglets. Like
most parents, “at times, they can be very dangerous animals,” said
Jean-Pierre d’Huart, a scientist who conducted one of the first studies
of the species in the 1970s. “Females would charge to protect their
piglets and males would attack people to defend their families.”
 Unfortunately,
people are hunting the pigs for food more than before, and the East
African populations have been “decreasing at alarming rates” over
the past 30 years, according to Rafael Reyna-Hurtado, a wildlife ecologist
who has been studying the species in Uganda. “We can’t afford to lose
this species,” he said. “It would be a real tragedy if the species
or significant populations of the species became extinct.” |
Staff
reporter Jessica Kim
(jessicakim@timescore.co.kr) |
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