Road hogs

Text Tim Osborne | Photo Paul van Schalkwyk

NO, NOT YOUR FELLOW MOTORIST BUT RATHER THE FOUR-LEGGED VARIETY OF HOGS. IF YOU DRIVE ANYWHERE WITHIN CENTRAL OR EASTERN NAMIBIA, YOU WILL SEE THEM GRAZING ALONG THE ROADSIDE.

W arthogs are a constant feature along some stretches of the B1 between Otjiwarongo and Okahandja. As the rain runs off the tarmac, the grass on the road verge grows greener and more nutritious than in the bush, attracting warthogs to the road edges. This means that while you are travel­ling along at 120 kilometres an hour, you might well be within one metre of a pig.

While 99.9% of the pigs will continue feeding as you whizz by, there is always a chance that the 0.1% will cross the road in front of your vehicle. A large male warthog can weigh as much as 105 kilograms and if you were to hit one, it would certainly ruin your vehicle, your day and maybe your life. Even a female can weigh as much as 70 kilograms. When dri­ving, always give the pigs the benefit of the doubt, and if there is no oncoming traffic, move away from them. The roads department has placed warning signs in the areas frequented by warthogs, which should alert you when to be wary, but the critters do not always stay in the areas marked for them! And if you see a female crossing the road, you can bet on it that her young will be following.

Warthogs are found in family groups called sounders, which are composed of related females and their young. Big males are usually found alone except in breeding season, which in Namibia takes place from May to July. Younger males form bachelor groups. Females give birth during the rains in February, producing one to eight young, but most litters in Namibia consist of four piglets.

The hogs are diurnal and feed on short grass and grass roots, which is why they like the roadsides. On all the main B roads and the tarmac C roads, the grass is mowed within two metres of the verge, creating ideal habitat. In other areas the grass from the road edge to the boundary fence is often cut to produce hay for stock feed. It often regrows in the dry season and the pigs are partial to the fresh green shoots. When feeding, they walk along while kneeling on their front legs.

Warthogs are named after the fleshy warts that grow on their faces, the male with two on each side, and the female with one. Along the cheek both sexes have a raised elongated ridge with white hairs looking like mutton-chop whiskers. They also have long curved tusks. One of the distinctive features of warthogs is that their tail is always raised straight upwards like an antenna when running away. Sometimes this is all you see of the animals as they take off into the tall grass.

This article was first published in the Flamingo November 2010 issue.