Mammals
Giant Forest Hog
Hylochoerus meinertzhageni
In a glade of an equatorial African forest, a giant forest hog grazes with a heavy black coat and big facial pads, the largest wild pig on Earth and a pig that eats grass.
Overview
The giant forest hog, Hylochoerus meinertzhageni, is a Least Concern wild pig of the forests and woodlands of equatorial Africa. As the largest wild pig, with a coarse black coat and heavy facial pads, it is one of the most imposing and least-known large mammals of African forests.
A pig that grazes
Unlike most forest pigs, which root for tubers and fruit, the giant forest hog is mainly a grazer of grasses and herbs in clearings.
Status
Least Concern, though hunted for meat and declining in places.
Giant Forest Hog: common questions
How big is the giant forest hog?
It is the largest of the wild pigs, weighing up to roughly 275 kg.
What does the giant forest hog eat?
It is a herbivore that grazes on grasses and eats other plants, which is unusual for a forest pig.
What are the pads on its face?
It has large pads of skin below its eyes, which give its face a heavy appearance.
Where is the giant forest hog found?
It lives in forest and woodland across equatorial Africa, from West Africa to Ethiopia and Tanzania.