Red river hog - The most handsome pig in nature

Red river hog - The red river hog is a wild pig in the pig family that lives in Africa. It is rarely seen far from the rainforest and usually prefers areas near rivers or swamps.

The Red River Hog is an intelligent, wild member of the pig family found in West and Central Africa. With its striking red coat, it is the most colorful member of the pig family. Its body is covered by a thin white mane that runs down its back.

Weighing between 50 and 100kg, the red pig may be one of the smaller pigs but is very aggressive. Males fight off rivals by head-butting, snout-butting and tail-whipping, and will defend their families against leopards, spotted hyenas and pythons.

The Red Pig has a distinctive orange to reddish-brown coat, black legs, and a white mane stripe down its back. Adults have white markings around the eyes, cheeks, and jaws; the rest of the muzzle and face are a contrasting black. The hair on the jaw and flanks is longer than the hair on the body, and males have a distinctive beard on their faces. The entire body of the Red Pig is covered with hair, leaving no exposed skin. Males are slightly larger than females and have conical tusks protruding from either side of the muzzle. These facial protrusions are made of bone and can protect the male's face when fighting head-on with other males.

They use their teeth to dig up roots, tubers and insects, and can swim and forage for aquatic plants. They also enjoy eating the seeds of the Boko tree (Balanites wilsoniana) , which they find in elephant dung.

The species is not currently endangered, but as they continue to encroach on agricultural land and the bushmeat trade increases, there are concerns that local pig populations could decline.

The red pig is found in western and central Africa. Its range extends from the Congo and Gambia to eastern Congo, south to the Kasai and Congo rivers. The red pig lives in tropical forests, moist savannas, forested valleys and near rivers, lakes and swamps.

The red river pig is the most colorful of the pig family , getting its name from its red coat and its tendency to frequently wallow in rivers and streams. The animal's coloration and distinctive markings can vary slightly; those found in West Africa are primarily red with a white stripe down their back, while those found in eastern and southern habitats can be red, brown, or black, sometimes becoming darker with age.

Red pigs are largely nocturnal and spend much of their time foraging. They use their large snouts to sniff the ground for food, as well as scratching the ground with their tusks and front paws. They also often follow chimpanzees in search of fallen fruit. The animals live in small groups of six to 10 animals, consisting of an adult male and several adult females and their young. However, much larger groups of more than 30 individuals can occur, especially in more favorable habitats.

Red pigs are highly territorial and males aggressively defend their 'harems' from other males. A favorite activity of this species is wallowing in muddy ponds and streams. They are also good swimmers and fast runners. Red pigs communicate almost constantly with grunts and cries, which can signal alarm, distress or passive contact.

The red pig is an omnivorous animal, feeding mainly on roots and tubers. It also supplements its diet with fruits, grasses, herbs, eggs, dead animals and plants, insects and lizards. The animal breeds from September to April, peaking during the rainy season from November to February. Gestation lasts for about 120 days. The mother usually builds a nest of dry leaves and grass before giving birth to a litter of up to 6 piglets, most commonly 3-4. Newborn piglets typically weigh 650 to 900g and are initially dark brown with yellow stripes and spots. They are weaned at about 4 months and develop a light red adult coat at about 6 months; the dark facial markings do not appear until they are adults at about 2 years of age.

The biggest threat to the red pig is hunting, as the animal is one of the main species harvested for commercial purposes in the bushmeat trade across much of Central Africa. In some countries, the red pig causes damage to agricultural crops and is hunted by farmers for this reason. Another threat to the animal is habitat loss, which also leads to overhunting.