Visayan Warty Pig

Sus cebifrons

The critically endangered Visayan warty pig, Sus cebifrons, is a small, dark wild pig from the central Philippines, especially the islands of Panay and Negros. Males develop facial warts, a pale cheek tuft, and a dramatic crest of hair that can be raised during displays; females are smaller and less ornamented. Once present on more of the Visayan islands, the species has been reduced by forest loss, hunting, and interbreeding pressure from domestic and feral pigs. It forages by rooting and searching for fruits, roots, invertebrates, and crops near forest edges, which has sometimes brought it into conflict with people.

Today the Visayan warty pig is managed mainly through conservation breeding, reserve protection, and field surveys rather than private ownership. Zoos involved in coordinated programs keep careful pedigree records to avoid hybridization and maintain a genetically useful safety population. Enclosures must withstand digging and pushing, provide mud wallows and shade, and allow managers to separate animals when breeding or aggression requires it. Conservation work in the Philippines includes community outreach, hunting reduction, habitat protection, and monitoring with camera traps. For sanctuaries and zoos, the species' rarity makes transfers and breeding decisions part of wider recovery planning.