Visayan Warty Pig

These pigs are diurnal and principally terrestrial, inhabiting dense lowland forests and secondary growth on Negros and Panay islands. They form small social groups of four to six individuals, foraging by day in shaded understories and fallow fields. Visayan Warty Pigs use their sensitive snouts to root for underground tubers and fallen fruit, often communicating through grunts and squeals to maintain group cohesion. Despite their limited range, they display strong site fidelity, returning to favored wallows and nesting sites. Males may engage in sparring matches using tusks and facial warts to establish dominance. Breeding groups remain close-knit except during the dry season when water scarcity disperses pigs toward deeper forest refuges. These adaptable pigs tolerate moderate human disturbance but retreat when hunted or confronted by larger predators.

Visayan Warty Pigs are omnivorous scavengers with a diet that includes roots, tubers, fruits, seeds, and occasional small vertebrates and invertebrates. They use powerful snouts to unearth edible roots and corms, then forage for fallen fruits such as mangoes, figs, and wild berries. Agricultural clearings expose cultivated crops like rice and corn, which pigs exploit when natural food is scarce. Seasonal fruiting patterns drive shifts in diet composition, with higher reliance on starchy tubers during lean months. Protein intake comes from earthworms, beetles, and small lizards, providing essential amino acids for growth and reproduction. Consuming a mixed plant and animal diet ensures balanced nutrition of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, supporting energy demands of foraging, social interaction, and breeding. Their efficient digestive system and hindgut fermentation extract maximal nutrients from fibrous forage.

Visayan Warty Pigs breed throughout the year with peak mating in the wet season. Males pursue females using scent trails and honorific grunts, engaging in mutual nudging and tusk displays. After mating, sows construct shallow nests of vegetation in dense thickets to birth litters of three to four piglets. Parental care is solely by the female, who remains close to the nest until piglets are weaned at two to three months.

The Visayan Warty Pig faces drastic population declines, with fewer than 200 individuals remaining in fragmented wild groups on Negros and Panay islands. Extensive habitat destruction, poaching, and competition with feral livestock have reduced numbers drastically over the past decades. Captive breeding and reintroduction programs operate in both public and private facilities, contributing to occasional releases in protected areas. Despite these efforts, genetic diversity remains low, and long-term viability depends on sustained conservation and enforcement.