Kloof Conservancy BioGuide - Bushpig
Size 55 - 88cm tall, up to 150cm long, tail up to 38cm
Mass 54 - 115kg
Pig-like. Body covered in shaggy, bristly hair with distinct mane extending from between ears to rear. Long head covered in silver-grey, course hair. Ears are pointed and end in a tuft of hair. Boars have bony ridge and warts on snout. Lower tusks grow to 7 cm and may protrude.
Mainly nocturnal but ambient temperature determines activity; diurnal in cooler months. Sedentary animals but defend their territory vigorously. Social creatures, living in sounders of 4 - 12 pigs constituting 1 dominant boar, 1 dominant sow, other sows and juveniles.
Omnivorous: animals: Mammals, birds, eggs, insects, arthropods, mollusks, amphibians. Plants: roots, tubers, seeds, grains, nuts, fruit.
Once a year, before rainy season begins, sow gives birth to 1 - 4 piglets in a hollow nest in deep bush, after gestation period of 120 - 127 days. Polygynous (one male mates with multiple females), with boars playing active role in rearing and protecting piglets. Piglets are independent at 6 months.
South of Sahara, on Eastern side of South Africa, as far south as Mossel Bay.
Dense bush with available drinking water.
Often perceived as a nuisance to subsistence and commercial farmers and therefore hunted.
Many Kloof homes, particularly along watercourses have night visits from Bushpigs. As this species is mainly nocturnal you are unlikely to come across it in Krantzkloof but you can easily identify their droppings and where they been digging for roots. Bushpigs unlike Porcupines tend to be messy diggers and usually dig up a patch of over a square metre. You could find their spoor on the Molweni Trail in the vicinity of Ronald’s Kloof Weir or along the Molweni River.
Males have more glands than any other hoofed African mammal; hoof & carpal glands on feet, preputial penis gland, tusk, anal, chin, neck mane glands. Eyesight is relatively poor but smell and hearing are extremely acute.
The large canine teeth of the adults project as tusks but are not as long or curved as those of the warthog. The lower tusks are sharpened on the tip and along the edge by occlusion with the upper canines and are formidable weapons when used.
Usayizi 55-88cm ukuphakama, kuya ku 150cm ubude, isisilasingu 38cm
Imisa 54 – 115kg
Ukuphila 20 weminyaka
Umumo ngokongiwa Kuphethe okuncane
Ingulube inje. Umzimba umbozwe uboya, nomhlwenga onokuhluka kusukela phakathi kwezindlebe nangemumva. Ikhanda elide elimbozwe okumpunga, uboya obude. Izindlebe izicijile kanye nesiqhova ekupheleni. Inkunzi yengulube inokhalo oluncane kanye nensumpa ekhaleni elide. Amazinyo angezansi akhula abe u, 7cm kanti anokuphumela ngaphandle.
Kakhulu ahamba ebusuku kodwa kuncike esimweni somoya; emini ezinyangeni ezipholile. Ezilwaneni ezihlala phansi kodwa ziyawuvikela umbuso ngezidlakadla. Zihlalisana ngemvelo, ziphila nemihlambi engu 4-12 womthetho wezingulube eyodwa inkunzi ebusayo, eyodwa ebusayo yensikazi, kanye nezinye izinsikazi namazinyane.
Zidla konke; izilwane: ezincelisayo, izinyoni, amaqanda,izilokazane, izinkalankala, inkovu, izilwane zamanzi. Izitshalo: zimpande, amagoni, imbewu, izinhlamvu, amakinati, izithelo.
Kanye ngonyaka, ngaphambi kokuqala kwesikhathi semvula, izinsikazi zizala 1-4 wamazinyane kumagobongo ezidleke ekujuleni kwehlathi, emva kokumitha isikhathi esizinsuku ezingama 12-127. Isithembu (oyedwa wesilisa oganwe abesifazane abaningi), nenkunzi edlala indawo ngemumva nokuvikela amazinyane. Amazinyane ayazibonela emva nje kwezinyanga ezi yi 6.
South of Sahara, naseMpumalanga neNingizimu Afrika, kuye kushaye eMossel Bay
Emahlathini acinene anamanzi aphuzekayo.
Ngokujwayelekile qabukela ekhathaza ngokudla kanye nasemapulazini abalimi bese zingelwa.
Imizi eminingi yase Kloof, kakhulu kwimisele yamanzi inokuvakasha ebusuku izingulube. Kuloluhlobo kakhulu oluhamba ebusuku unganokungabaza ukuza ngase Krantzkloof kodwa ungawabona kalula ngakushiyile noma lapho kade emba khona izimpande. Izingulube kungafani nezi Ngungumbane alinda kube nesibhixi somgodi kanti avame ukumba umgodi ongaba isikwele semitha. Ungathola amasondo azo kwi Molweni Trail budebuduze neRonald’s Kloof noma ngase Molweni River.
Eyesilisa inezibele eziningi ukudlula noma isiphi isilwane esincelisayo sase-Afrika esinezinsela Ukubona kwayo akukuhle kodwa ukuhoqela kanye nokuzwa okubona kakhulu.
Izinyo lenja elikhulu kwezindala liphumela ngaphandle njengenzavula kodwa ayi kakhulu noma aligobile njengele Ntibane. Izinzavula ezingezansi zibukhali esihlokweni nasonqanqameni ngokuvalela ngezinyo lenja elingaphezulu kanti liyisikhali esinamandla uma ilisebenzisa.