Giant Forest Hog

Hylochoerus meinertzhageni

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Mammalia · Artiodactyla · Suidae

About

The giant forest hog, the only member of its genus (Hylochoerus), is native to wooded habitats in Africa and is one of the largest wild members of the pig family, Suidae, along with a few subspecies of the wild boar. It was first described in 1904. The specific name honours Richard Meinertzhagen, who shot the type specimen in Kenya and had it shipped to the Natural History Museum in England.

Fun Fact

Giant forest hogs were the last large African mammal to be scientifically described, not confirmed until 1904 — their secretive nature in dense montane forests kept them hidden from Western science.

Quick Facts

Habitat

Tropical montane forests

Diet

Omnivore

Lifespan

12-18 years

Threats

Illegal Logging
Habitat Fragmentation

External Data Sources

Recent sightings on iNaturalist IUCN Red List profile

More Mammals Species

Abbott's Duiker EN Abbott's Gibbon EN Addax CR African Elephant EN African Forest Elephant CR African Wild Ass CR

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