Found in the forests, swamps, and savannas of West and Central Africa, this wild pig looks like it’s been dressed up for a costume party. Its fiery orange-red coat shines in the sunlight, its face is decorated with bold white markings, and it has long, dramatic ear tufts that flick like tassels with every movement. Add to that a sleek, muscular body and a long snout, and you’ve got a pig that looks more like a work of art than a barnyard animal.

But the Red river hog is not just about looks—it’s also an incredibly adaptable survivor. True to its name, it often lives near rivers and swamps, and it is a fantastic swimmer, able to cross water with ease. It is an omnivore, feeding on roots, fruits, tubers, insects, small animals, and even carrion, giving it a flexible diet that allows it to thrive in many habitats. Its strong snout is a powerful digging tool, rooting through soil and mud to find hidden meals, and in doing so, it plays an important role in shaping its environment by spreading seeds and aerating the ground.

Socially, Red river hogs are energetic and highly social animals. They live in groups called sounders, usually led by a dominant male, and these groups can be noisy and boisterous. They communicate through a wide variety of grunts, squeals, and growls, and their interactions are often full of play and movement. They’re mostly nocturnal, moving around at night in search of food, though they’re sometimes active during the day in quieter areas. Their constant chatter, busy foraging, and dramatic appearance make them one of the liveliest characters of the African forest.

Distribution

Country

Population est.

Status

Year

Comments

Benin

2016

Cameroon

2016

Central Af. Rep.

2016

Congo-Brazzaville

2016

Côte D’ivoire

2016

DR Congo (Kinshasa)

2016

Equatorial Guinea

2016

Gabon

2016

Ghana

2016

Guinea-Bissau

2016

Guinea

2016

Liberia

2016

Mali

2016

Nigeria

2016

Senegal

2016

Sierra Leone

2016

South Sudan

2016

Sudan

2016

Presence Uncertain

Togo

2016

Uganda

2016