| Size |
Bearded pigs range from 3.5 – 5.5’ in length and 2.5 – 3’ tall at the shoulder. |
| Weight |
Weight ranges from 100 – 300 lbs with an average of 210. |
| Conservation Status |
On the 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the bearded pig is listed as Vulnerable. |
| Diet |
Bearded pigs are omnivorous. Bearded pigs spend a great deal of time foraging on the forest floor for food. In the wild, they mainly eat roots, shoots and insects. They especially enjoy fallen fruit and will follow gibbons and other area primates hoping for them to drop fruit. At the Zoo the pigs receive a variety of food. Their base diet is pellets specifically formulated to meet the nutritional needs of the animals. The enrichment portion of the diet consists of a variety of root vegetables, fruit and leafy greens. |
| Geographic Range |
Bearded pigs are found in the forests of Borneo, Sumatra, Malaysia and the surrounding islands. |
| Where to find me in the Zoo |
African Plains |
Note: Description below should include Longevity, Behavior, and Reproduction information
Bearded pigs have the slimmest body and longest head of all living pigs. They are sparsely covered with brown-gray hair except for the long yellowish whiskers on the sides of their face over the bridge of their nose. They have two sets of warts on their face – similar to warthogs – but the first set is covered by the beard and is not very visible. Their eyes are small and unique in color – almost a steel blue. The tail has a two-rowed tuft, much like an elephant’s, which is also unique among pigs.
Longevity
Rarely studied in the wild or exhibited in captivity, the longevity of bearded pigs isn’t well known. It is likely that they are similar to the European wild boar that has an average lifespan on 10 years, although some have been known to live into their mid-twenties.
Behavior
Bearded pigs are mainly diurnal and spend the day in the forest searching for food. Like all swine, bearded pigs have a mobile, disc-shaped snout that they use to dig for food. They are extremely powerful and are able to break through soil so hard that a person with a shovel can’t even make a dent. They are constantly on the move as they forage, and often follow troupes of monkeys and scavenge bits of food that they drop from the trees. Their sparse hair doesn’t offer much protection, so the bearded pigs readily wallow in mud. The dried mud protects their skin from biting insects and the hot tropical sun. Through most of the year, bearded pigs live in family groups consisting of a sow and her most recent litter of piglets. They do have one extraordinary behavior that sets them apart from all other pigs – they undertake an annual migration. Led by an old male, groups of up to 100 pigs travel through the forest on well-worn paths that have been used for many years. They travel at night and rest in the thick undergrowth during the day. Bearded pigs are not well studied in the wild, and the reason for these migrations has not been found yet.
Reproduction
When a female bearded pig is ready to give birth she leaves the herd and finds a safe place to build a nest. Her nest is made of sticks, leaves and palm fronds, and can be as large as 6’ across and 3’ high. After a gestation of 4 months she gives birth to up to 8 piglets, although the average number is 2-3. Similar to other wild pigs, her young have longitudinal stripes that disappear as they mature. The stripes help camouflage the piglets in the broken light of the forest. For the first 10 days after birth the piglets stay in the nest, and then they begin to follow their mother as she forages for food. They stay with her for about a year before they start out on their own.
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Kari: Male, born August 6, 1998 at San Diego Zoo. He arrived at the Zoo on June 15, 2000.
Kali: Male, born August 6, 1998 at San Diego Zoo. He arrived at the Zoo on June 15, 2000.
Subutu: Male, born August 19, 1997 at San Diego Zoo. He arrived at the Zoo on June 15, 2000.
Enrichment
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