Introduction -The warthog gets it name from four gristly warts that protrude from the sides of its face. It is not known for certain what purpose the warts serve. One explanation is that they are used as a weapon, or, alternatively, as a defence in fending off blow from other warthogs.

Warthogs live in families of related females with their offspring. They act as as nature's gardeners and till large areas of soil through their digging exploits. Apart from aerating the soil and softening it to allow the rain to sink in, they also bury and thus protect seeds from fire damage and at the same time they expose other bulbs to which birds such as francolins are partial.

Warthogs can be seen all over central Namibia and are often found grazing on the verges of the road. For those arriving in the country they can often be seen on the short trip from the International Airport into Windhoek. Care should be taken while driving as warthogs can do considerable damage to vehicles and passengers.

Diet - Mainly short grasses, but also roots, fruit and even carrion.

Colouring - Brown-grey with four warts on their faces and callouses on the elbows.

Breeding - Two to five young are born from September to December - after a gestation period of just more than 5 months.

Size - The shoulder height is up to 70cm and they weigh between 60 and 80kg.