Old Dude and Other Warthogs… On Safari— Part 9

/ Curt Mekemson
The Chobe Safari Lodge in Kasane, Botswana was the first place we stayed on our African Safari. In addition to being on the Chobe River and a short driving distance from Chobe National Park, it was the home of several warthogs. I called this one Old Dude, for obvious reasons.
The name warthog derives from the ‘warts’ on their faces, which actually aren’t warts but are made from a combination of bone and cartilage. They protect the face of the warthog in battle and I’m pretty sure that girl warthogs consider them quite attractive. Old Dude was searching for dinner here, which I think was small nuts from the tree. He wasn’t praying to the tree god, it’s just how warthogs eat— on their knees— so much so that they grow callouses on their knees, i.e. kneepads.
Here’s another perspective on Old Dude. I’d say the white hair sprouting out of his ears, the pouches under his eyes , and his broken upper tusk all speak to his age. (Or at least they would in a human.) Warthogs have four tusks (two upper and two lower) that are based on their canine teeth. While the warthogs at Chobe Lodge weren’t tame, they certainly weren’t concerned with people photographing them. We were about 10 feet away.
Warthogs seem to love their mud baths as much as elephants, if not more. It’s for some of the same reasons: Cooling off, protecting against sunburn, and killing parasites. Our balcony at the Chobe Safari Lodge looked out on a mud hole where these warthogs were frolicking.
One of them was giving new meaning to “down and dirty.” And possibly “joy.”
We had just finished feeding the elephants at the Wild Horizons Elephant Sanctuary near Victoria Falls when this fellow came slipping in. I think he had assigned himself clean-up duty. Their usual diet is grass but they will use their tusks to dig for roots and bulbs, and, as we have seen, apparently, nuts. Being omnivorous, they will also scavenge meat occasionally.
A group of warthogs, consisting of moms and kids, is called a sounder. Why, I don’t have a clue, but it is the name applied to other feral pig groups as well. We found this group at Matusadona National Park next to Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe. We surprised them so they were on the run with their tails up: Danger! Danger! Danger! While warthogs will fight if cornered, they prefer to escape, which is probably wise since lions find them quite tasty. Being able to run 30 mph (48 k) helps. As does having burrows to escape to. Moms send the kids in first and then back in with tusks pointed out. Warthogs don’t dig their own burrows, they steal them from other animals with aardvarks being their preferred target.
This pretty lady warthog had found a mud hole in Hwange National Park and was eager to check it out.
Ahhhhh….
Ooooh…
Aren’t I beautiful? That does it for today. Next up, you will meet, the Judge, who is known as the ambassador of white backed vultures, and is one impressive bird. I’m serious.

24 thoughts on “Old Dude and Other Warthogs… On Safari— Part 9”

  3. One of my favourite ‘mind’s eye’ memories from our second African trip was seeing a young warthog run back and forth teasing a not-very-hungry lioness that was about 30 feet away.

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  5. Despite their rugged exterior, they possess a certain charm that makes them captivating to observe in their natural habitat. With their distinctive facial features, including their large tusks and warty protrusions, warthogs stand out among other animals on the African savanna.

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  6. Curt, I just LOVE that last photo with the happy female warthog. Seriously, she looks like a she, and she looks so pleased. That is an awesome catch. Also loved the first two shots of the Old Guy, to show us details from their bodies. I got to look at all those crazy characteristics up close, like that worn down tusk – cool! And his foot pads – neat! I liked learning about warthog facts, like tails up as a warning sign.

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    • Warthogs are truly one of natures amazing creations, Crystal. And wasn’t the female fun! She really looked like she was enjoying her ‘spa’ beauty treatment.
      Old Dude had the best ‘warts’ of any warthogs we saw. And to be able to get so close was an unexpected treat. Thanks.

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  8. Most of the time, I find animals attractive, or interesting, or both. I wonder if I’d be more inclined to admire the warthogs if they had a differerent name — although I spent a little time trying to come up with one, and couldn’t. Is their natural color gray? They are more attractive as brown critters, but I take it that’s due to the mud.

    I was curious about the collective noun ‘sounder.’ Turns out our feral hogs are described with that word, too. Who knew?

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    • Grey to brown seems to be their natural colors, Linda.
      Even domestic pigs running around in the woods are given the name sounder, Linda. I did a quick search to try and find out how they earned that name. Couldn’t find it.

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  9. I love these critters! It’s the summer of 1966 and I am on a ski left going across some rugged area with theses kind of critters below me !

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  10. Hi Curt, I’ve never given much thought to warthogs, but I appreciate the information you share here. It’s interesting to know that the ‘warts’ aren’t really warts, but instead, used for protection. And it’s easy to see how the mud baths would feel good too. But I can’t really say that they’re cute. Like pigs and cows are cute, but warthogs? Nah, I’m not there yet. 🙂 Have a good weekend!

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