Warthog
Read More
This is a boar (male) Warthog as evidenced by the second knob under the eye (missing in females). He is using his cartilaginous upper lip to plow up the dirt in search of roots, rhizosomes of grasses, etc. One can see the dust flying up in front of his nose. [Mona Pools, Zimbabwe].
This and the next two images illustrate the warthogs favorite form of relaxation--- mud-bathing to rid themselves of insects that get into their fur and skin-creases. The Glossy Starling ( L) is standing by to grab any insects that might be stirred up. [Mussima Dam, Hwange NP, Zimbabwe].
Warthog: Two males folicking in the mud, and the vigilant glossy starling. [Mussima Dam, Hwange NP, Zimbabwe].
The male Warthog does a little scratching to brush some mud out of his eye. [Mussima Dam, Hwange NP, Zimbabwe].
Close-up of a female's Warthog's face. Note that there is no wart beneath her eyes, only a small one lower down on her snout. [Mona Pools, Zimbabwe].
I photographed this male Warthog hiding in its burrow, partially hidden by bushes (evening, flash). [South Luangwa NP, Zambia].
Portrait of a young adult Warthog boar. I don't know what happened to his tusks. He was a pet of some people, maybe they cut off his tusks so that he couldn't hurt anybody. Perhaps the tusks will grow as he gets older. You may not think he's beautiful, but I'm sure that his girl-friend thinks he's handsome! [Okanjima, Namibia].
Warthog: A family drinking and 'mudding'. [Mussima Dam, Hwange NP, Zimbabwe].
A typical picture of Warthogs fleeing--tails up, with the little tuft of hair at the end waving in the air! They obviously had been having a mud bath. [Mussima Dam, Hwange NP, Zimbabwe].,
An interesting photo of a Warthog family: Note that the 2 play-fighting in the background are larger than the two in the center-front, and the one on the left is much the smallest. This is probably due to their being of a different mating or of dfferent females. One of The mother's is in the right foreground. [Botswana].
